Manual of the vertebrates of the northern United States [electronic resource] : including the district east of the Mississippi River, and north of North Carolina and Tennessee, exclusive of marine species

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MANUAL

VERTEBRATES

ITOKTHEKN' insTITED STATES,

INCLUDING

THE DISTRICT EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, AND NORTH OF

NORTH CAROLINA AND TENNESSEE, EXCLUSIVE

OF MARINE SPECIES.

DAVID STARR JORDAN, M.S., M.D.

PROFESSOR OF NATURAL HISTORY IN N. TV. C. UNIVERSITY, AND IN INDIANA
STATE MEDICAL COLLEGE.

CHICAGO:

JANSEN, McCLURG & COMPANY.
1876.

Jfo

LIBRARY

COPYRIGHT,

JANSEN, MoCLURG & COMPANY.
A.D. 1876.

THE LAKESIDE PRESS. CHICAGO.

PEEFAOE.

This book has been written to give collectors and students
who are not specialists, a ready means of identifying the families,
genera and species of our Vertebrate Animals. In deference to
the uniform experience of botanists, and in view of the remarkable
success achieved by Dr. COUES, in the application of the method to
Ornithology, the author has adopted the system of artificial keys.

To keep the book of a size convenient for field use, class and
ordinal characters have been abbreviated, since they do not lie
directly within the purpose of the work ; generic characters have
been confined to the " key," under the head of each family,
while for specific characters, only such points have been gen-
erally retained, as are distinctive as well as descriptive. The
same necessity has led to the suppression of many of the doubt-
ful or nominal "species," which still encumber our systematic
works, and to the omission of synonymy and references to auth-
orities, excepting in cases of recent or original changes of
nomenclature.

Use has been freely made of every available source of infor-
mation, and it is believed that the present state of our knowl-
edge is fairly represented.

The account of the Mammals has been chiefly compiled from
PROP. BAIRD'S " Mammals of North America," in the light of
the recent revisions by Mr. J. A. ALLEN, Dr. COUES, and Prof.
GILL. I am indebted to Mr. B. H. VAN VLECK, of Cambridge,
Mass, for the revision of the proof-sheets of the Mammals and
the Turtles.

I wish further to express my deep obligation to Dr. ELLIOTT
COUES, having by his advice and consent, made free use of all
his published writings. These have been drawn upon especi-
ally in the preparation of the keys to the Warblers, the Hawks,
and other difficult groups, in the descriptions of the Water

3

M8563'

4 PREFACE.

Birds, and in the preliminary key to the ordeis of Birds. Dr.
COUES has also kindly placed at my disposal the advance -sheets
of his yet unpublished monograph of American Bats.

I am also under obligations to Messrs. BAIRD and RIDGWAY,
whose writings have been to ine of essential service; to Prof.
COPE, whose numerous papers have been of great value in the
systematic arrangement of the Fishes, and whose check list of
the Reptiles and Batrachiaus has been closely followed in the
classification of those groups ; to Prof. GILL, whose arrangement
of the families of Fishes has been, with few modifications,
adopted in the present work ; to Dr. GUNTHER, whose Catalogue
of Fishes is the vade-mecum of the working ichthyologist; to
Prof. RICHARD BLISS, Jr., who has generously aided me in the
identification of the Ichthelidse, in advance of the publication of
his monograph of that most difficult group ; to Mr. E. W. NELSON,
of Chicago, who has kindly furnished me with a yet unpub-
lished list of the Birds and Reptiles of Illinois; to Prof. F. W.
PUTNAM, Dr. B. G. WILDER, and Dr. C. C. ABBOTT, for the loan
of books and other aids; to Prof. H. E. COPELAND, for help of
various kinds, particularly in the verification of descriptions,
and to the many collectors and compilers of local lists, who
have freely placed their material at my disposal.

Our knowledge of the geographical distribution of many
animals is still veiy imperfect. Quite a number of Southern
and Western species, here excluded as extra-limited, will prob-
ably yet be found within the region included in this work.

Additions and corrections of every character are earnestly
solicited from naturalists and teachers.

D. S. J.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND., May, 1876.

SIGNS, ABBREVIATIONS, ETC., EXPLAINED.

I. — MAMMALS.
»'.= Incisor teeth.
c.— Canines.

m,.— Molars.

Thus " i. flf " indicates two incisor teeth on each side in the
upper jaw, and one on each side in the lower.

" Toes 5-4 " implies fore feet five-toed, hind feet four-toed.

Other signs are as used in Birds.

II.— BIRDS.

i.— Length in inches (along back from tip of bill to end of
longest tail feather) ; thus, "L. 7i " means, length 7£ inches.
^.^Extent (spread of wing) measured in inches.

W.— Length of wing (from bend of closed wing — carpal joint —

to tip of longest feather) in inches.
T.= Length of tail in inches (i.e., actual length of the longest tail

feather.)
B.= Length of bill in inches (measured along culmen from tip to

frontal feathers.)
.ZZ#.=Length of head in inches (measured with dividers from

base of bill to nape.)

Ts.= Length of tarsus in inches (measured in front.)
Tcl.= Length of middle toe with its claw.

The measurements given in the descriptions are understood to
represent a fair average adult male; a variation of one-sixth, or
more, in absolute length is nothing unusual ; relative lengths, as of
wings and tail, are much more constant. To save space I have
preferred to say "L. 6," to saying "L..5i to 6i."

$= Female.

6 ^ BIGKS, ; ABBREVIATIONS, ETC.

> liMprfc trails longer .than, -or more than equivalent to.
< =2 Bess tlian/in ite-vafifeus1 'senses.
= =Sign of equivalence.

The toes are numbered 1,2,3,4; 1 being the hind toe, or
hallux; 2 the inner anterior toe; 3 the middle toe; and 4 the
outer toe.

III. — KEPTILES.
L.= Length in inches.
Sc. or Scales= Number of longitudinal rows of scales exclusive

of the ventral series.
G. = Number of ventral plates, or gastrosteges, counted along the

belly, from the throat to the vent. The figures given in the

descriptions are intended to be average, the actual number

being quite variable.
Z7".=Number of pairs of sub-caudal plates, or urosteges, counted

from the vent to the tip of the tail.

IV. — FISHES.
£.= Dorsal fin.
2d D.= Second dorsal fin.
P. = Pectoral fins.
V.= Ventral fins.
.4.= Anal fin.
C.= Caudal fin.
B. =Branchiostegals.

Roman numerals used with the above abbreviations indicate
the number of spines or inarticulate rays in a fin. Arabic numer-
als indicate the number of soft rays. In a fin containing both
spines and soft rays, a comma ( , ) separating the numerals indicates
that the two kinds of rays are continuous, or more or less
connected. A dash ( — ) indicates their separation. Thus, " D, X,
12," describes a single dorsal fin with 10 spines and 12 soft rays ;
"D, X — 12," indicates two dorsal fins — the first of 10 spines, the
second of 12 soft rays; "D, X — I, 12," would indicate the
presence of a single spine in the second dorsal.

The posterior soft ray of the dorsal and anal fins is usually
split to the base. It should be counted as one ray and not as two.

SIGNS, ABBREVIATIONS, ETC. 7

Lat. Z.=Lateral line, i.e., the number of scales contained in its
course. When the lateral line is obsolete, " lat. 1." signifies
the number of scales in a row from the head to the base of
the caudal fin. Thus, "lat. 1. 36" means that there are 36
scales in a row along the sides from the head to the caudal.
In all cases the number of rays or scales, as given in the
descriptions, is intended to represent a fair average, and a vari-
ation of one-sixth, or' even more, in either direction need not
surprise the student. Generally the spines and scales are more
constant in their numbers than the soft rays, and the fewer of
either, the less variable.

Depth in length=The greatest depth of the body as contained in

the distance along the side from the snout to the base of the

caudal.
Head in length=The distance from the snout along the cheeks to

the extremity of the opercle, as contained in the distance

from the snout to the base of the caudal.
Eye in head=Its longitudinal diameter as contained in the length

of the side of the head.

As above stated, these measurements, as given in the descrip-
tions, are intended to be the average of living adults, and must be
applied to young specimens or preserved ones with caution.

Young fishes are always much more elongated than adults, and
the eye is proportionally much larger.

A fin is said to be " long" when it has a long base, or is many-
rayed. A "high" fin is one in which the individual rays are
elongated.

PRINCIPAL ABBREVIATIONS OF NAMES OF AUTHORS
CITED IN THIS VOLUME.

Allen=3. A. Allen.
Auct.=A.uctOTum (of Authors.)

And. & Bach. = Audubon &
Bachman.

B. & G.— Baird & Girard.
Bartr. — Bartram.
Beauv.=Pa,Yi$ot de Beauvais.
BL & Schn. =Bloch & Schneider.
j&>eM.— Boddaert
Bon., or Bp.=C. L. Bonaparte.
Brev. = Bre voort.

(7a&.=Cabanis.
CVm.=Cassm.
Coop.= Cooper.

C. & F.=Cuvier and Valen-

ciennes.
Daud. = Daudin.

Desm. = Desmarest.
Dum. — Dumdril.

Gm., or

Gray (Birds)=G. R. Gray.

Gray (Mam,& Kept.) =J. E. ^Gray.

Hald. = Haldeman.

Lac. =Lacepede.
Lafr. = Lafresnaye.
Lath. = Latham.

Lawr. = Lawrence.
ZeO'.=LeConte.

Less.= Lesson.

Licht. — Lichtenstein.
L.— Linnaeus.

Raf. = Rafinesque.
Reich. = Reichenbach.
Mich. = Ri ch ardson.
Ridg. = Ridg way.

H. Smith— Hamilton Smith.

Steph. = Stephens.

Strickl. = Strickland.
Sund . — Sundevall.
Sw. — S wainson.
Temm. = Temminck.
Towns. — Townsend.
Veil. — Valenci ennes.
Vieill., or F.=Vieillot.
F^.^Vigors.
Waal.—

Wils.= Wilson.

*;,<* Names of Authors not in the above list are usually
written in full.

VERTEBRATE ANIMALS

OF THE

UNITED STATES.

VERTEBRATA.

(The Vertebrates.)

The Vertebrates are, in popular language, "animals
with a back-bone." They are distinguished from all
other animals, says Prof. Huxley, " by the circumstance
that a transverse and vertical section of the body
exhibits two cavities, completely separated from one
another by a partition. The dorsal cavity contains the
cerebro-spinal nervous system; the ventral, the alimen-
tary canal, the heart, and, usually, a double chain of
ganglia, which passes under the name of the 'sympa-
thetic.' A vertebrated animal may be devoid of
articulated limbs, and it never possesses more than two
pairs. These are always provided with an internal
skeleton, to which the muscles moving the limbs are
attached."

Without further discussion of this great group of
animals, we will proceed at once to the consideration of
the classes. Of existing vertebrates, we here recognize

9

10 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS.

eight classes. These are: — 1. MAMMALIA, or Mammals;
2. AVES, or Birds; 3. REPTILIA, or Reptiles; 4. BATKACHIA,
or Batrachians; 5. PISCES, or True Fishes; 6. ELASMO-
BRANCHII, or Selachians; 7. MARSIPOBRANCHII, or Myzonts;
8. LEPTOCARDII, or Lancelets.

Of these classes, two, Elasmobranchii and Leptocardii,
are represented by marine forms only, and do not,
therefore, come within the scope of this treatise.

The relations of the classes of Vertebrates may be
recognized by the following analysis, taken, in part,
from Prof. Gill's "Arrangement of the Families of
Fishes." Only the most obvious characters are here
referred to, although others, less striking, are often of
greater taxonomic value.

CLASSES OF VERTEBRATES.

* Respiration never performed after birth by means of branchiae.

f Exoskeleton developed as hair (rarely obsolete) ; warm blood ;

heart with four cavities ; diaphragm complete ; two occipital

condyles ; viviparous ; young developed from a minute egg,

and nourished for a time by milk secreted in the mammary

glands of the mother. .... MAMMALIA.

f f Exoskeleton developed as feathers ; warm blood ; heart with

four cavities; diaphragm incomplete; a single occipital

condyle ; viviparous ; young hatched from a comparatively

large egg ; no mammary glands. .... AVES.

f f f Exoskeleton developed as scales, or bony plates ; cold blood ;

heart with three cavities (four in Crocodilia); a single

occipital condyle ; viviparous (or rarely ovoviparous) ; young

hatched from a rather large egg. . . . REPTILIA.

** Respiration performed by gills for a part, or the whole, of life ;"

cold blood.

$ Skull more or less developed, with the notochord not continued
forwards beyond the pituitary body ; brain differentiated
and distinctly developed; heart developed and divided
into at least an auricle and ventricle.

VEBTEBEATA. 11

a. Skull well developed and with a lower jaw; nostrils paired.
b. ]STo median rayed fins ; limbs not developed as rayed
fins, but, if present, having the same skeletal elements
as in the higher vertebrates; skin usually naked;
respiration in the adult chiefly, or entirely, accom-
plished by means of lungs, the branchiae rarely

persistent BATRACHIA.

bb. Rayed fins present on median line of the body ; limbs
developed as rayed fins ; at least one pair being always
present ; respiration by means of branchiae throughout
life ; lungs not developed.

c. Membrane bones (operculum, etc.) developed in con-
nection with the skull; gills free; the branchial
openings a single slit on each side; exoskeleton
usually of scales, or plates, never placoid; eggs

small and numerous PISCES.

cc. Skull without membrane bones ; gills not free ; the
branchial openings slit-like, usually several in
number; exoskeleton placoid, never of scales, but
usually composed of calcified papillae of various
styles ; eggs few and large. . ELASMOBRANCHII.
aa. Skull imperfectly developed and with no lower jaw;
a single median nostril ; paired fins undeveloped, with
no shoulder girdle nor pelvic elements; gills purse-
shaped ; skin naked. . . MARSIPOBRANCHII.
ft Skull undeveloped, with the notochord persistent and extend-
ing to the anterior end of the head ; brain not distinctly
differentiated ; heart none, LE?TOCABDII.

12 MAMMALS.

.— jaantmalia.

(The Mammals.)

A Mammal is a warm-blooded, air-breathing vertebrate,
having the skin more or less covered with hair; vivipar-
ous; embryo developed from a minute egg, and provided
with an amnion and allantois; young nourished for a
time after birth by milk, secreted in the mammary
glands of the mother; respiration never by branchiae,
but after birth by lungs, suspended freely in the thoracic
cavity, which is completely separated from the abdominal
cavity by a muscular septum (the diaphragm); heart
with four cavities; a complete double circulation. The
peculiarities of the skeleton are too numerous to be
noticed in this connection.

The following key to the Orders and Families of
Mammals which occur within our limits (omitting the
Seals and the Cetaceans, all our members of which
groups are marine), is mostly taken from Prof. Gill's
"Arrangement of the Families of Mammals." It has
been thought best not to give here any separate account
of the different orders, as, in the abundance of literature
on that subject, it seems unnecessary.

ORDERS OF MAMMALIA.

* Young not born until of considerable size and nearly perfect
development, deriving its nourishment, before birth, from
the mother through the intervention of a placenta ; a well
developed corpus callosum. (MONODELPHIA.)

f Brain with a relatively large cerebrum, overlapping much, or
all, of the cerebellum and olfactory lobes. (EDUCABILIA.)

MAMMALS. 13

t Anterior and posterior limbs and pelvis well developed ;
femur and liumerus not exserted beyond the common
integuments of the body.

a. Feet with developed claws ; canines specialized ; molars,

one or more, sectorial, adapted for cutting ; incisors

•f ; chiefly carnivorous. . . CARNIVORA, A.

aa. Feet with hoofs ; molars mostly with grinding surfaces ;

incisors various; no tusks; developed toes, four or

fewer ; chiefly herbivorous. . . UNGULATA, B.

ff Brain with a relatively small cerebrum, leaving behind much

of the cerebellum exposed, and, in front, much of the

olfactory lobes. (!NEDUCABILIA.)

&. Canine teeth present, in some form ; incisors not f nor f.
c. Anterior limbs adapted for flight ; ulna and radius
united; bones of hand and fingers much elon-
gated, supporting a thin, leathery skin, extending
along sides of body to the posterior limbs;
mammae pectoral. . . CHIROPTERA, C.
cc. Limbs all adapted for walking; .ulna and radius not
united; hand normal; mammae usually abdomi-
nal INSECTIVORA, D.

Vb. No canine teeth ; incisors f , rarely f, chisel shaped ;
limbs adapted for walking. . RODENTIA, E.

** Young born when of very small size and incomplete develop-
ment, never connected by a placenta to the mother ; corpus
callosurn rudimentary. (DIDELPHIA.) . MARSUPIALIA, F.

A. FAMILIES OF CARNIVORA.

* Intestinal canal provided with a ccecum ; feet digitigrade ; toes

5-4.
f Teeth 28 to 30; head broad; snout short; claws sharp,

retractile FELID.E, 1.

ff Teeth 38 to 46; snout elongated; claws bluntish, non-
retractile CANID^, 2.

** Intestinal canal without a ccecum ; feet plantigrade, or, if not,
toes 5-5.

14 MAMMALS.

\ Teeth less than 40 ; body rather slender ; feet often more or
less perfectly digitigrade. . . . MUSTELID^, 3.
\\ Teeth 40 or 42; body stout; feet completely plantigrade,
a. Tail rudimentary; teeth 42; lower jaw with three true
molars ; body very large and heavy. . URSID.E, 4.
CM. Tail well developed; teeth 40; lower jaw slender, with
two true molars ; body moderately stout.

PROCYONIIXE, 5.

B. FAMILIES OF UNGULATA.

* Toes paired (artiodactylous) ; horns solid, deciduous ; teeth 34

or 32. CEKVIILE, 6.

C. FAMILIES OF CHIROPTERA.

* Snout not appendaged ; tail inclosed in the membrane, or only

the last joint exserted. . . . VESPERTILIONID^B, 7.

D. FAMILIES OF INSECTIVORA.

* No external ear; fore feet greatly enlarged — adapted for
digging ; limbs very short. . . . TALPIDJS, 8.
** An external ear ; feet normal ; hind feet usually longest.

E. FAMILIES OF RODENTIA.

* Incisors f ; tail well developed.
f Hair forming a fur, without spines.

a. Tail broad, flat and scaly; feet webbed; molars f'f ;

body stout and heavy. . . . CASTORID^E, 11.

aa. Limbs very short, about equal ; fore claws much enlarged ;

large external cheek pouches ; body thick-set and heavy ;

molars f !|. ..... GEOMYHXE, 12.

aaa. Tail and hind legs excessively elongated, the latter
adapted for leaping ; molars f !f • . ZAPODIIXE, 13.
aaaa. With none of the preceding combinations.

FELID^.— I. 15

6. Molars J-lf- or flj- ; no foramen (as in the next); tail

usually long and hairy ; (squirrels, etc.) SCIURID^, 10.

5&. Molars f if to |vf ; zygomatic process of upper jaw with

a foramen ; (rats and mice). . . MURDXE, 14.

ft Fur with stiff spine-like bristles ; toes with long, curved

claws SPALACOPODIDJB, 15.

** Incisors f ; the middle upper incisors large, grooved, the outer
ones small ; teeth 28 ; tail very short ; ears long.

LEPORIIXE, 16.

F. FAMILIES OF MARSUPIALIA.

* Tail long, prehensile, nearly naked ; feet plantigrade ; incisors
f :f ; teeth 50 DIDELPHIDHXE, 17

OEDEB A.-OAENIYOEA.

(The Flesh-Eaters or Ferae.)

FAMILY I. — FELID^E.

(The Cats.)

Digitigrade Carnivora with the toes 5-4; claws com-
jpressed, very sharp, retractile; palms and soles hairy,
with naked pads under each toe and the b all of the foot.
Body compact; head short, broad and rounded. Dentition
i. |;f ; c. £-}•; pm. f ;f or |:|; m. f |=30 or 28; canine teeth
long and sharp; teeth all strongly trenchant; tongue with
short, retrorse papillae. General aspect cat-like. A well-
known group comprising about fifty species, found in all
parts of the world excepting Australia and its islands.

* Prernolars f ."f , anterior upper one very small ; tail at least half
as long as the body (exclusive of head and neck) ; fur compact
and glossy ; ears not tufted. . . . . FELIS, 1.

** Prernolars f'f, (anterior upper one wanting); tail less than
half length of body proper ; ears triangular, tufted. LYNX, 2.

16 MAMMALS.

/. FELIS, Linnaeus. CATS.

1. F. concolor, L. AMERICAN PANTHER. COUGAE.
PUMA. Above tawny brownish yellow; a wash of dark-
er along dorsal line; dirty white below; large; body 4£
feet long. Whole continent of America, N. to lat. 50°
to 60°.

2. LYNX, Rafiriesque. WILD CATS.

1. L canadensis, (Desm.) Raf. CANADA LYNX. Feet
very large, densely furred beneath in winter, concealing
the small, naked patches; tail black at tip; no distinct
bars on inner side of legs; much larger than the next,
with larger feet and longer fur. N. A.

2. L rufus, ( Guldenstadt. ) Raf. AMERICAN WILD
CAT. Inner sides of legs with dark cross bands; tail
with a black patch at end above, preceded by half rings.
U. S. and northward.

FAMILY II.— CANID^E.

(The Dogs.)

Digitigrade Carnivora with blunt, non- retractile claws;
toes 5-4. Muzzle more or less elongated. Dentition typi-
cally i. -|:-|; c. -J-'.-J-; pm. J:|; m. $.-$=42; canines large,
rather blunt. Both hemispheres.

* Tail comparatively short ; upper incisors distinctly lobed ; pupil

circular. , CANIS, 1

** Tail comparatively long and bushy; upper incisors scarcely

lobed; pupil elliptical; body more slender,
f Tail with soft fur and long hair ; muzzle long. . VULPES, 2.
ft Tail with a concealed mane of stiff hairs, and without soft
fur; muzzle shorter UROCTON, 3.

MUSTELID^E. — III. IT

/. CANIS, Linnaeus. WOLVES.

1. C. lupus, L. WOLF. Color exceedingly variable;
northward it is chiefly gray, southward more and more
blackish and reddish, till in Florida black wolves pre-
dominate, and in Texas red ones. N. A. and northern
parts of the Old World. (C. occidentalis, Auct.)

2. VULPES, Brisson. FOXES.

1. /. vulgaris, Fleming. RED Fox. CROSS Fox. SILVER
Fox. BLACK Fox. Chiefly red, with black feet and ears;
tip of tail white. A single species, widely variable* in
color, as indicated by the common names. N. Am.
Europe (V.fulvus, Auct.)

3. U ROC YON, Baird. GRAY FOXES.

1. U. virginianus, (Erxleben.) GRAY Fox. Chiefly
gray; fur dusky or fulvous, hairs hoary at tip; tip of tail
usually dark. Penn. S., W. to the Pacific.

FAMILY III.— MUSTELm/E.

(The Weasels.)

Carnivora either plantigrade or digitigrade, with the
toes 5-5. Molars J:|- ( rarely \:\ ); the upper and the last
lower one tubercular; no ccecum. Most species provided
with glands near the anus which secrete a fetid liquid.
Some are strictly carnivorous while others are rather om-
nivorous. Size usually medium or small. They are found
in all parts of the earth excepting the Australian region.
* Last or true molar of upper jaw short, small, transversely elon-
gated; toes short; claws retractile. (MUSTELINE.)
f Teeth 38 ; body slender ; feet digitigrade ; tail rather long ; low-
er first molar with an internal tubercle, . MUSTELA, 1.

18 MAMMALS.

ft Teeth 34 ; body slender ; feet digitigrade ; tail usually long ;

sectorial tooth without internal tubercle. . PUTORIUS, 2.

fft Teeth 38 ; body stout ; feet sub-plantigrade ; tail as long as

head, very full and bushy GULO, 3.

** True molar of upper jaw very large, sub-triangular, tubercu-
lar; fore claws much lengthened, for digging. (MELIN.E.)
a. Body short and stout ; tail very short ; teeth 32. TAXIDEA, 4.
*** True molar of upper jaw quadrangular, wide, very large, with
an outer cutting ridge; claws non-retractile, fore claws
lengthened, fossorial. ( MEPHITTNJS.)
&. Snout pointed ; colors black and white ; fetid glands highly

developed ; teeth 34 MEPHITIS, 5.

**** True molar large, quadrate ; teeth 36 ; body elongated ; toes
palmate, adapted for swimming. ( LUTRIN^E.) LUTKA, 6.

/. MUSTELA, Linnseus. MARTENS.

1. M. martes, L. SABLE. PINE MARTEN. Chiefly
reddish yellow, clouded with black ; legs and tail,
blackish; length less than two feet. Maine to Oregon,
and northward; also in Old World. (M. americana,
Turton.)

2. M. pennantii, Erxleben. FISHER. BLACK CAT. Color,
variable ; belly, legs, tail, and hind parts chiefly black;
length more than two feet. Northern N. A.

2. PUTORIUS, Cuvier. WEASELS.

1. P. vulgaris, Cuvier. LEAST WEASEL. Liver-brown,
white beneath ; usually white in winter ; tail never
really black at tip ; body 6 to 7 inches long. N. U. S.
and northward, also Old World.

2. P. ermineus, Cuvier. COMMON WEASEL. ERMINE.
Colors various ; tip of tail usually black ; white in
winter, northward. Length of body 8 to 11 inches,

. — iv. 19

N. Am. and Old World, abundant. (P. noveboracensis,
cicognanii) etc., of authors.)

3. P. lutreolus, Cuvier. COMMON MINK. Brownish
chestnut ; tail black or nearly so ; length of body 15
to 20 inches. N. A. and Old World. (P. mson, Gapper.)

• 3. GULO, Storr. WOLVERINES.

1. G. luscus, (L.) Sabine. WOLVERINE. Dark brown ;
legs and beneath black. N. U. S. and N.

4. TAXIDEA, Waterhouse. BADGERS.

1. T. americana, (Bodd.) Baird. AMERICAN BADGER.
Chiefly grayish. Wisconsin, N. and W.

5. MEPHITIS, Cuvier. SKUNKS.

1. M. mephiiica, (Shaw) Baird. COMMON SKUNK.
Usually black with tip of tail, dorsal stripes and nuchal
patch white; sometimes all black or even nearly all
white. Mexico to Arctic regions*, an abundant and fa-
miliar species. ( M. chinga, Tiedemann.)

6. LUTRA, Linnaeus. OTTERS.

1. L. canadensis, Sabine. AMERICAN OTTER. Liver-
brown; length 4£ feet. U. S.

FAMILY IV.— URSID^E.

( The Bears. )

Plantigrade Carnivora having the body thick and
clumsy. Tail rudimentary. Teeth 42 ; molars broad and
tuberculated, according with the omnivorous diet. Species
few and widely distributed, — in North America, there are
probably but two, although many have been described;
these are, as has been shown by Mr. J. A. Allen, the

20 MAMMALS.

Polar Bear ( U. maritimus), and the following which is the
common Bear of the Old World.

/. URSUS, Linnaeus. BEARS.

1. U. arcfoSf L. BROWN, BLACK, CINNAMON AND
GRIZZLY BEAR. Color, size, etc., exceedingly variable,
but the several forms or varieties intergrade perfectly.
N. Am. and Europe. (U. americanw, Pallas. U. horri-
biliSy Ord.)

FAMILY V.— PROCYONID.E.

(TJie Raccoons.)

Plantigrade Carnivora of moderate size, with the body
comparatively slender and the tail well developed. Teeth
40. Snout more or less elongated; no coecum. Genera
two, — Nasua^ the Coatimundi of Mexico, and the follow-
ing, all American.

/. PROCYON, Storr. RACCOON.

1. P. lotor, (L.) Storr. COMMON RACCOON. " COON."
Grayish white; hairs black-tipped; tail with black rings.
U. S.; abundant.

OEDEE B.-IJ]SrGULATA.

(The Hoofed Mammals).

FAMILY VI. — CERVID^E.

(The Deer).

Horns deciduous, solid, developed from the frontal
bone, more or less branched, covered at first by a soft,
hairy integument, known as "velvet"; when the horns
attain their full size, which they do in a very short time,
there arises at the base of each a ring of tubercles known
as the "burr; " this compresses and finally obliterates the

CEEYIB^E. — VI. 21

blood-vessels supplying the velvet, which dries up and is
stripped off, leaving the bone hard and insensible; the
horns or " antlers " are shed annually, the separation of
the "beam" from its "pedicel" taking place just below
the burr ; the antlers are wanting in the female (except-
ing in the Reindeer) but they are usually present in
the male. Herbivorous; stomach in four divisions, of
the ordinary ruminant pattern. Dental formula, i. f:f ;
c. (usually) -J;-J; pm. |:|; m. |;|. A widelv distributed
family.

* Horns (in males only) very broadly palmated to the tip ; nose
very broad, entirely hairy except a small naked spot between

nostrils. . ALCE, 1.

** Horns (in both sexes) broadly palmated at tip ; nose entirely

hairy. RANGIFEB, 2.

*** Horns (in males only) rounded more or less ; rarely sub-pal-
mated ; nose naked and moist.

f Horns large, curving backward, with the snags all directed
forward, one of them immediately above the burr; tail very
short ; hoofs broad and rounded ; size very large.

CERVUS, 3.

ff Horns smaller, curving forward, the first snag short, at some
distance above the base, and like the others curving
upward; tail rather long; hoofs rather elongate; size
smaller CABiACUS,4.

/. ALCE, Hamilton Smith. ELKS.
1. M. amer/canus, Jardine. MOOSE. AMERICAN ELK.
Largest of our Cervidce, reaching the size of a horse.
Maine and N. N. Y. to Oregon and N.

2. RANGIFER, Hamilton Smith. REINDEER.

1. R. caribou, Aud. & Bach. WOODLAND CARIBOU.
REINDEER. Maine to Hudson's Bay and Lake Superior;
perhaps the same as the Reindeer of Europe. (R.
tarandus.)

•

22 MAMMALS.

3. CERVUS, Linnaeus. DEER.

1. C. canadensis, Erxleben. "AMERICAN ELK."
WAPITI. Chestnut red, grayish in winter; size nearly
equal to that of the Moose. Alleghany region of Penn.
and Va., Wis. (near Green Bay, Van Vleck^) Yellow-
stone region and "W.

4. CARIACUS, Gray. RED DEER.

1. C. virginianus, (Bodd.) Gray. VIRGINIA DEER. RED
DEER. General color chestnut red, grayish in winter.
Maine to Rocky Mountains and S., abundant in many re-
gions.

ORDER C.-CHIROPTERA.

(The Bats.}

FAMILY VII. — VESPERTILIONID^E.

(TJie Ordinary Bats.}

Insectivorous Bats with the snout not appendaged, or
merely with two lateral excrescences. Wing membranes
ample. Tail completely enclosed in the interfemoral
membrane or only the last joint exserted.

* Cheeks without excrescences ; ears moderate.

f Incisors §!§ • VESPERTILIO, 1.

ft Incisors jij. ATAIAPHA, 2.

** Cheeks with two large excrescences ; ears excessively large,
an inch high ; teeth 36 ; i. -g-I-f. . . CORYNORHLNTJS, 3.

/. VESPERTILIO, Linna3us. TYPICAL BATS.
> Scotophilus, Leach.

* Teeth 38; molars J.-J-; species with thin wings and ears. (Ves-

pertilio}
1. /. subulatus, Say. LITTLE BROWN BAT. Face

VESPERTILIONID^E. — VII. 23

small, fox-like, with high forehead and pointed snout;
ears large, oval, twice the height of the erect tragus;
wings naked; interfemoral membrane naked except at
base, face whiskered; color dull olive-brown. L. 3; E.
9; T. 1|-. N. Am.; abundant every where. A small and
very variable species. ( V. lucifugus, Le C.)
** Teeth 36; molars |:f. (Vesperides.)

2. /. noctivagans, LeC. SILVER BLACK BAT. Tragus
almost as broad as high, scarcely one-third height of ear;
femoral membrane entirely though scantily furred; fur
long and silky, black, usually with silvery tips to the
hairs. L. 3i; E. 12; T. 1|. U. S. generally.

*** Teeth 34; molars -f'f ; stouter species, with thicker wings and
more leathery ears. (Vesperugo.)

3. V. georgianus, F. Cuvier. GEORGIA BAT. Tragus
slender, erect, half the height of the auricle; upper in-
cisors about equal in size; femoral membrane one-third
furred; dark reddish brown, brighter forwards. L. 3;
E. 9; T. 1^-. Maine to Texas; chiefly southward.

**** Teeth 32; molars f:f; stout species. (Vesperus.)

4. /. fuscus, Beauv. CAROLINA BAT. DUSKY BAT.
Tragus never pointed, nearly half as high as auricle;

wings naked; interfemoral membrane furred at base;
ears more or less turned outward; upper lateral incisors
small, scarcely visible. L. 3 to 4; E. 12; T. 1£. U. S.;
a widely diffused species. ( V. carolinensis, Geoff. St.
Hilaire.)

2. ATALAPHA, Rafinesque. RED BATS.

* Teeth 30 ; molars £$ ; upper incisors small ; wings naked and
interfemoral membranes nearly so. (Nycticejus.)

1. A. crepuscularis, (Le C.) Coues. TWILIGHT BAT.
Ears small, wide apart; a small wart above eye; fur

24 MAMMALS.

rather scanty; dark fawn color above, passing into
brownish below; L. 3£; E. 9; T. 1^-. Perm, to Mo., and
S.W.

** Teeth 32 ; molars -f if ; upper incisors stout ; interfemoral mem-
brane hairy above, and wings with furry patches (Lasiurus.)

2. A. noveboracensis, (Erxl.) Coues. RED BAT. Fur
long and silky, reddish brown, mostly white at tip; lips
and ears not edged with black; a whitish tuft at base
of thumb; L. 3|; E. 12; T. If. U. S., every where.
An abundant species, readily known by its reddish color.

3. A. cinereus, (Beauv.) Coues. HOARY BAT. Rich
chocolate - brown, overlaid with white; lips and ears
marked with black; L. 5; E. 14; T. 2%. U. S., rather
northward, rare. ( V. pruinosus, Say.)

3. CORYNORHINUS, Harrison Allen. BIG-EARED BATS.

1. C. macrotis, (Le C.) H. Allen. BIG-EARED BAT.
Blackish, fur soft and long; L. 3£; E. 11; T. If. Va. to
Missouri region and S.

OEDEE D.-HTSECTIVOEA.

(The Insect Eaters.)

FAMILY VIII.— TALPIDJE.

(The Moles.)

Body stout, thick, and clumsy, without visible neck.
Eyes rudimentary, sometimes concealed. No external
ears. Limbs very short; feet greatly expanded and
provided with strong claws, adapted for digging; anterior
limbs much larger than posterior. Scapula as long as
humerus and radius together. Canines usually present.

SORICID^. — IX. 25

Fur compact, soft and velvety. Found on both conti-
nents.
* Nose elongated, not fringed; nostrils superior or lateral; tail

short,
f Teeth 36 ; nostrils partly superior ; tail nearly naked.

SCALOPS, 1.

ff Teeth 44 ; nostrils lateral ; tail densely hairy. SCAPANUS, 2.

** Nose, elongated, fringed at end with a circle of long fleshy

projections; nostrils terminal; tail nearly as long as body;

teeth 44 CONDYLURA, 3.

/. SCALOPS, Cuvier. SHREW MOLES.

1. 5. aquaticus, (L.) Fischer. COMMON MOLE. Dark
plumbeous, paler below; feet full webbed; eyes not
covered by skin. E. U. S.; an abundant and well known
species.

2. S. argentatuSf Aud. & Bach. PRAIRIE MOLE.
Silvery plumbeous; said to be larger and more silvery
than the preceding. Ohio and W., chiefly in the prairie
region.

2. SCAPANUS, Pomel. HAIRY -TAILED MOLES.
1. S. breweri, (Bach.) Pomel. HAIRY -TAILED MOLE.
Dark plumbeous, with brown gloss. E. U. S.

3. CONDYLURA, Illiger. STAR-NOSED MOLES.
1. C. cr/'stata, (L.) Desmarest. STAR-NOSED MOLE.
Blackish. U. S., chiefly northerly, from the Atlantic to
the Pacific.

FAMILY IX.— SORICID^E.

(The Shrews.)

Mouse-like Insectivora, with the eyes and external
ears distinctly developed. Muzzle elongated. Feet
normal, not fossorial; the fore-feet mostly smaller than
the hind ones. Teeth I-JI no canines. The most

26 MAMMALS,

abundant and widely distributed family of the Insecti-
vora. The assumed specific distinctions in this family
are utterly worthless, and it is at present impossible to
characterize the species. The following are the best
known.

* Ears large ; auricle directed backwards ; tail about as long as
the body ; upper anterior incisors with a second basal hook,
and an angular process on the inner side near the point.

SOREX, 1.

** Ears small, concealed by the fur ; tail not longer than head ;
auricle directed forwards; upper anterior incisor without
above-mentioned hook and process. . . BLABINA, 2.

/. SOREX, Linnaeus. SHREWS.

1. S. p/atyrhinuSf (Dek.) Wagner. COMMON SHREW.
A small, long-nosed, large-eared species, of a chestnut
color, having the tail much shorter than head and body;
said to be abundant in the Eastern and Middle States.

2. S. cooper/', Bach. WESTERN SHREW. Still smaller;
color light chestnut; tail nearly as long as head and
body. New England, N. and W.

2. BLARINA, Gray. SHORT-TAILED SHREWS.
1. B. brev/cauda, (Say) Baird. MOLE SHREW. Tail
less than one-third length of head and body; color
brownish gray. E. U. S., the common species.

OEDEE E.-BODESTIA.

(The Rodents or Glires.)

FAMILY X.— SCIURID^E.

(The Squirrels.)

Rodents with the molars £:£ (upper anterior often
deciduous), the last 4 of nearly equal size; a distinct
postorbital process of frontal bone; tibia and fibula

SCIUELD^E. — X. 27

distinct. Species of rather small size, widely distributed.

The variations in color, .etc., are extremely great, and

the number of well-defined species is very much less

than was once supposed.

* A densely furred membrane extending along the sides between
the anterior and posterior limbs ; tail depressed, flattened,
densely furred ; permanent molars 5-5 above.

SCIUBOPTEKUS, 1.

** Sides without membrane for " flying."

f No cheek pouches ; tail bushy, at least as long as body ; ears
long; no black stripes along the back. . Scrunus, 2.
f f Cheek pouches present.

| Back with 3 to 5 distinct black stripes ; tail shorter than
body, not bushy ; cheek pouches well developed.

TAMIAS, 3.

$ Not as above ; body rather slender, squirrel-like ; cheek
pouches well developed ; claw of thumb rudimentary
or wanting. . . % . . SPERMOPHILUS, 4.
ftt Body large, thick-set, depressed ; cheek pouches shallow ;
thumb rudimentary, armed with a small flat nail, not a
claw; soles naked. . . . ARCTOMYS, 5.

/. SCIUROPTERUS, P. Cuvier. FLYING SQUIRRELS.
< Pteromys, Cuvier.

1. S. volans (L.) Coues. COMMON FLYING SQUIRREL.
Yellowish brown, creamy white below. N. Am., abun-
dant. (P. volucella, etc., authors.)

2. SCIURUS, Linnaeus. SQUIRRELS.

1. S. cinereus, Linn. Fox SQUIRREL. Upper molars
permanently 4; tail very large and bushy; general color
rusty gray, varying from almost white, through various
shades of rusty red to jet black, the latter color rare
northward, reddish and orange shades predominating
westward; L. 26; T. 14. E. U. S., very abundant in the

28 MAMMALS.

Mississippi region. Leading varieties are: var. niger,
the Southern form, gray to black with the ears and nose
white; var. cinereus, the Eastern form, with short ears,
scarcely longer than the fur; and var. ludomcianus, the
"Western form, with high ears and a prevailing tinge of
orange red.

2. S. carolinensis, Auct. GRAY SQUIRREL. BLACK
SQUIRREL. Upper molars 5; varies from grizzly yellow-
ish gray to pure jet black; L. 24; T. 13. N. Am., E. of
the plains, abundant.

3. S. hudsonius, Pallas. RED SQUIRREL. CHICKAREE.
Chiefly rusty red, back with a wash of brighter red;
L. 14; T. 6£. N. Am., rather northerly; abundant.

3. TAMIAS, Illiger. GROUND SQUIRRELS.

1. T. str/atus, (L.) Baird. CHIPMUNK. GROUND SQUIR-
REL. Back and sides with five black stripes; L. 11; T.
4£. Maine to Va., and westward; abundant.

4. SPERMOPHILUS, Cuvier. GOPHERS.

1. S. tr/decem/ineatus, ( Mitch. ) Aud. & Bach.
STRIPED GOPHER. Dark brown, with light stripes
alternating with lines of dots, about thirteen in all; L.
10; T. 4. Prairies; Ark. to the Saskatchawan.

2. S. franklini, (Sab.) Rich. GRAY GOPHER. Yellow-
ish gray, mottled with brown; L. 15; T. 5£. Prairies;
111. and northward.

5. ARCTOMYS, Schreber. MARMOTS.

1. A. monax, (L.) Gmel. WOODCHUCK. GROUND HOG.
Grizzly gray, varying to chestnut and blackish. Hud-
son's Bay to Va., and westward; common.'

GEOMYID^B. — XII. 29

FAMILY XI. — CASTORID^E.

( The Beavers.)

Aquatic Rodents of large size, having the molars
rootless, |-;f-, or |-;j-; fore feet with five distinct toes and
claws; tibia and fibula distinct; no postorbital process.
A small family, containing but two existing genera,
Anisonyx of our N.W. coast, and Castor.

* Molars 4-4 above ; hind feet webbed ; tail broad, flat, and scaly.

CASTOR, 1.
/. CASTOR, Linnaeus. BEAVERS.

1. C. fiber, L. BEAVER. Mexico to the Polar Sea;
now being rapidly exterminated. (C. canadensis, Kuhl.)

FAMILY XII. — GEOMYHLE.

{The Pouched Gophers.)

Cheek pouches large and distinct, opening outside of
the mouth. Molars f:J; incisors large and thick; skull
heavy; temporal bones enormously developed. Limbs
about equal, the fore claws, five in number, very large;
tibia and fibula united. Body thick-set and clumsy.

Genera two, Geomys and Thomomys, all North Ameri-
can, and chiefly inhabiting the central plains; habits
nocturnal and subterranean.

* A large groove near the middle of each upper incisor ; crown

of molars elliptical GEOMYS, 1.

/. GEOMYS, Rafinesque. POUCHED GOPHERS.
1. G. bursar/us, (Shaw) Rich. POCKET GOPHER. Red-
dish brown, with plumbeous tinge. Prairies, "Wis. and
Ills., westward.

FAMILY XIII. — ZAPODIDJE.

(The Jumping Mice.)

Hind legs greatly elongated, adapted for taking long
leaps; fore legs short. Tail very long. Molars f;f;

30 MAMMALS.

tibia and fibula united. Contains, probably, but a single
species, inhabiting the Northern U. S., related to the Old
World Jerboas.

/. ZAPUS, Coues JUMPING MICE.

= tTaculuSj Wagler.

1. Z. hudsonius, ( Zimmermann ) Coues. Yellowish
brown. U. S., chiefly northward; Variable.

FAMILY XIV. — MURIDJE.

(The Mice.)

Incisors J-; molars usually f;J; anteorbital foramen a
vertical slit, widening above and bounded externally by
a broad plate of the upper maxillary; coronoid and
condyloid processes of lower jaw well developed. A
large family, found in all parts of the globe, some of the
species (Mus) being cosmopolitan, having accompanied
man in his migrations through the ages; all are of small
size, the muskrat being one of the largest, and many are
smaller than any other quadrupeds, except the Shrews.
* Incisors laterally compressed ; molars rooted- (MURING.)
f Molars with three tubercles in transverse series ; soles naked ;
tail long, scaly ; (Old World species, introduced in America.)

Mus, 1.
f f Molars complicated, with two tubercles in transverse series ;

soles usually hairy; (New World species.)
a. Rat-like; size large; ears large, rarely naked. NEOTOMA,S.
aa. Mouse-like ; size small.

6. Incisors not grooved ; ears very large ; feet and lower

parts usually white. . . . HESPEBOMYS, 3.

6&. Size very small ; upper incisors grooved longitudinally

along their anterior surface. . OCHETODON, 4.

:* Incisors as broad as deep ; molars rootless (except in Ewtomys).

J Tail not specially compressed ; teeth not grooved.

MUHLD^E. — XIV. 31

c. Molars rooted; coronoid process of lower jaw, not reaching

level of condyle ; ears overtopping the fur. EVOTOMYS, 5.

cc. Molars rootless ; coronoid process as high as condyle ; ears

more or less concealed. J . . ABVICOLA, 6.

tt Upper incisors grooved ; root of lower incisor ending

abruptly opposite the last molar ; ears large.

SYNAPTOMYS, 7.

\\\ Tail scant -haired, vertically flattened; hind feet partly
webbed; size large FIBER, 8.

/. MUS, Linnaeus. OLD WORLD RATS AND MICE.

1. M. decuman us, Pallas. BROWN or NORWAY RAT.
Tail nearly an inch shorter than head and body, grayish
brown above; paler below; feet dusty white; fur mixed
with stiff hairs; cosmopolitan; introduced into America
about 1775, and now the commonest species.

2. /Iff. rattus, L. BLACK RAT. Tail not shorter than
head and body; sooty black, plumbeous below; feet
brown; introduced about 1544, but now being supplanted
by the preceding.

3. M. alexandrinus, Geoff. ROOF RAT. WHITE -
BELLIED RAT. Introduced in the Southern States.

4. M. musculus, L. COMMON HOUSE MOUSE. Cosmo-
politan; every where too well known.

2. NEOTOMA, Say. & Ord. WOOD RATS.
1. N. flor/dana, S. & O. WOOD RAT. Tail scantily
hairy, scarcely as long as body without head; feet
entirely white; L. 14; T. 6, or less. S. U. S., N. to
Mass, and Ills.

3. HESPEROMYS,Wa,teThouse. WHITE - FOOTED MICE.

* Fur soft and glossy ; lower parts white ; soles naked, or slightly
hairy; tail closely hairy; ears large. (Vesperimus.)

1. H. leucopus, (Raf.) LeC. DEER MOUSE.

32 MAMMALS.

FOOTED MOUSE. Yellowish brown; tail distinctly bicolor,
about as long as head and body; hind feet more than £
inch. N. Am.; abundant.

2. H. michiganensis, (Aud. & Bach.) Wagner. MICHI-
GAN MOUSE. Tail little longer than body without head,
bicolor; hind feet less than f inch; dark brown; a
darker dorsal band; L. 3, or less, to base of tail. Upper
Miss. Valley to Mich., etc.

3. H. aureolus, (Aud. & Bach.) Wagner. RED MOUSE.
Yellowish cinnamon, bright especially on ears; belly not
pure white. Pa. to Ills., arid S.

** Soles naked ; tail scant-haired, about as long as head and body ;
ears small. (Oryzomys.)

4. H. palustris, (Harlan) Baird. RICE -FIELD MOUSE.
Blackish and ashy above, becoming paler below; fur
harsh, but compact; a large rat -like species. S. States,
N. to N. J. and Kas.

4. OCHETODON, Coues. HARVEST MICE.

< Reithrodon, Baird.

1. 0. hum His, (Aud. & Bach.) Coues. HARVEST MOUSE.
Tail shorter than head and body; appearance decidedly
mouse - like. U. S., southerly, N. to Iowa.

5. EVQTOMYS, Coues. LONG -EARED MICE.

< Armcola, Bd.

1. E. rutilus (Pall.) var. gapperi, (Vigors) Coues. LONG-
EARED MOUSE. Color chestnut ; ears prominent ; a
brownish dorsal band; size of common mouse. North-
ern frontier, S. to Mass.

6. ARVICOLA, Lacepede. FIELD MICE.
* Back upper molar with two external triangles and a posterior
crescent; middle upper molar with two internal triangles;
front lower molar with three internal and two or three lateral
triangles; size large. (Myonomes.)

SPALACOPODID^E. — XV. 33

1. A. rlparius, Ord. MEADOW MOUSE. Fore claws
not longer than hind claws; tail one-third length of
head and body, or more. U. S. ; generally abundant.

** Back upper molar with one exterior triangle and a posterior
trefoil ; middle upper molar with one internal triangle ; front
lower molar with two internal and one external triangle;
fore claws not larger than hinder; fur ordinary; size
medium. (Pedomys.)

2. A. austerus, LeC. Tail one-third length of head
and body, or less. Western States, E. to Michigan.

*** Teeth as in Pedomys; fore claws larger than hinder; fur
dense, silky, mole-like; size small. (Pitymys.)

3. A. pinetorum, LeC. PINE MOUSE. Tail about one-
fourth length of head and body. E. U. S.

7. SYNAPTOMYS, Baird. COOPER'S MOUSE.

1. S. cooper i ', Baird. Head short and heavy; fur soft
and long. W. States, E. to Ind.

8. FIBER, Cuvier. MUSKEATS.

1. F. zibeihicus, (L.) Cuv. MUSKEAT. MUSQUASH. A
well-known aquatic animal, the largest of our Muridce.
N. Am.; every where.

FAMILY XV. — SPALACOPODIDJ3.

(The Porcupines.}

Body more or less armed with spines. Molars rooted,
£;£. Toes 4-5 in ours, sub -equal, with long, com-
pressed, curved claws; soles warty. Muzzle hairy;
upper lip without a groove; chiefly arboreal; nearly all
are South American. The above characters apply rather
to the sub -family C 'ercolabmce, to which our genus
belongs, than to the whole family.

34 MAMMALS.

/. ERETHIZON, F. Cuvier. AMERICAN PORCUPINES.

1. E. dorsatus, (L.) F. Cuvier. WHITE-HAIEED PORCU-
PINE. Dark brown, spines chiefly white. N. Am., S. to
Mexico. •

FAMILY XVI. — LEPORINE.
( The Hares.)

Incisors f, the extra pair in upper jaw small, and
placed behind the principal pair, which are grooved in
front; molars £:£. A single well - known genus, widely
distributed.

/. LEPUS, Linnaeus. HARES.
* Fur white in winter.

1. L. amer/'canus, Erxleben. WHITE RABBIT. NORTH-
ERN HARE. Size large; hind feet longer than head;
ears about equal to length of head; fur, in summer,
cinnamon brown, in winter, becoming white at the
surface, plumbeous at base, with a broad median band
of reddish brown. Wooded districts, New England to
Minn., and S. to Va., along the Alleganies.

** Fur never white.

2. L. sy I vatic us, Bachman. GRAY RABBIT. Size
small; hind feet not longer than head; ears two-thirds
length of head; gray above, varied with black, and more
or less tinged with yellowish brown; below white. U. S.
eastward; less northerly than the preceding. Two
Southern species, L. palustris, Bach., the Marsh Rabbit,
and L. aquaticus, Bach., the Water Rabbit, abound in
S. Ills. (Nelson.)

DIDELPHIDIIXE. — XVH. 36

OKDEK -F.-MA-RflTTPTATJA.

(The Marsupials.)

FAMILY XVII. — DIDELPHIDID^E.

(The Opossums.')

Marsupial mammals of small size, with the teeth i. f ;f ,
c. •}-:-}-, pm. |;|, m. J;j-. Feet five - toed, plantigrade, claws
5-4. Tail usually very long, nearly naked, covered by a
scaly skin, with a few scattered hairs, prehensile. All
the species are American.

/. DIDELPHYS, Linnasus. OPOSSUMS.

1. D. virg iniana, Shaw. COMMON OPOSSUM. Dirty
white; legs dark; L. 35; T. 14. N. Y. to Rocky Moun-
tains, rather southerly; common.

36 BIRDS.

55. —

(The Birds.)

A Bird may be defined as an air - breathing vertebrate
with a covering of feathers; warm blood; a complete
double circulation; the two anterior limbs (wings)
adapted for flying or swimming, the two posterior limbs
(legs) adapted for walking or swimming; respiration
never effected by gills or branchiae, but, after leaving
the egg, by lungs which are connected with air cavities
in various parts of the body. Reproduction by eggs,
which are fertilized within the body and hatched
externally, either by incubation or exposure to the heat
of the sun; the shell calcareous, hard and brittle.

. Much more might be added, but the obvious distinction
is this: — All Birds have feathers, and no other animal
has feathers.

The classification of this group, as of most others, is
still in an unsettled condition. Strictly speaking, the
existing members of the class are so closely related that
they might, with propriety, be combined into one order,
which, by Prof. Gill, has been named EUEHIPIDUEA. At
present, however, the term " order " may be applied to
the groups so designated below, without thereby implying
any such structural differences as exist between the
" orders " of Reptiles or Fishes.

We now proceed to an artificial key to the

ORDERS OF BIRDS.

* Toes 3 : two in front, one behind. . . . PTCARLE, H.
** Toes 3: all in front; toes cleft or semipalmate. LIMICOL^J, M.

BIRDS. 37

*** Toes 4 : two in front, two behind.

Bill cered and hooked. . . . PSITTACI, I.

Bill lengthened, not cered nor hooked. PICARLE, H.
**** Toes 4 : three in front, one behind.

I. Toes not webbed at all, cleft to the base, or with the basal

joints immovably coherent.

a. Hind toe inserted on a level with the rest and generally
longer than the shortest anterior toe.

b. Nostrils opening beneath a soft, swollen membrane ; head

small ; tarsus reticulate behind. . COLUMB^E, K.
bb. Bill hooked and cered ; claws sharp and strong.

RAPTOKES, J.

bbb. Secondaries very short, six in number ; bill very slender ;

smallest of all birds. . . . PICARLE, H.

bbbb. Claw of hind toe as long or longer than that of middle

toe; wing coverts in about two series, not reaching

half way to tips of secondaries; musical apparatus

more or less highly developed. . PASSERES, G.

aa. Hind toe elevated above the level of the rest, and usually

shorter than the others.

c. Bill fissirostral — culmen very short, but gape very wide

and deep, reaching to below eyes. . PICARLE, H.
cc. Bill lengthened, not fissirostral.
d. First primary emarginate, or else about as long as

second. LIMICOL^E, M.

dd. First primary not emarginate, much shorter than
second. . . . . . ALJECTORIDES, O.

II. Toes syndactyle — without webbing, but with the outer and

middle toes coherent half their length. . PICARLE, H.

III. Toes semipalmate; two or three of them joined at base only
by evident movable webbing.

e. Hind toe inserted on a level with the rest.
f. Tibiae feathered below.
g. Bill cered and hooked ; claws sharp and strong.

RAPTORES, J.

gg. Bill not cered and hooked ; nostrils opening beneath
a soft, swollen membrane. . . COLUMBJE, K.

38 BIRDS.

ff. Tibiae naked below. . . . HERODIONES, N.
ee. Hind toe inserted above the level of the rest, and usually

shorter than any of the others.
fi. Tibiae feathered below.
*". Nostrils perforate ; head more or less naked.

RAPTORES, J.
tV. Nostrils imperforate.

j. Bill flssirostral — gape wide, "reaching to below eye.

PICAHLE, H.

jj. Bill stout, not fissirostral ; nostrils scaled or feathered.

GALLINJE, L.
M. Tibiae naked below.

k. Nostrils perforate. . . . ALECTORIDES, O.
kk. Nostrils imperforate.

L Head bald ; tarsus reticulate. . HERODIONES, N.

tt. Head feathered ; tarsus usually scutellate.

LlMICOI^E, M.

IV. Toes lobate, webbed at base or not, but conspicuously

bordered on sides by plain or scalloped membranes.
m. Tail rudimentary; legs set far back. . PYGOPODES, S.
mm. Tail perfect; a horny frontal shield. ALECTORIDES, O.
mmm. Tail perfect; forehead feathered, without horny shield.

LIMICOL^E, M.

V. Toes palmate ; three front toes full-webbed.

n. Bill curved upwards ; legs elongated. . LiMicoiuE, M.

nn. Bill lamellate, mostly flatfish and furnished at tip with a

decurved nail. . . . LAMELLIROSTRES, P.

nnn. Bill not recurved nor lamellate.

o. Hind toe not lobate ; wings long and pointed ; tail well

developed LONGDPENNES, R

oo. Hind toe lobate; wings and tail short. PYGOPODES, S.

VI. Toes totipalmate ; all four full-webbed. STEGANOPODES, Q.

G. FAMILIES OF PASSERES.

I. Oscines. Each side of tarsus covered with a plate, undivided
in most of its length and meeting its fellow in a sharp ridge

BIRDS. 39

behind (in a few cases, back of tarsus without ridge, and formed
of a few scutellae distinct from those lapping over the front ) ; first
primary short, spurious or wanting, if present, not more than
two-thirds of the longest ; musical apparatus highly developed.
* Primaries 10 ; the first short or spurious.
f Tarsus booted ; rictus with bristles.
a. Middle toe quite free from inner; birds of moderate size,

length more than 6.

&. Wings moderate, not reaching when folded beyond the
middle of tail, and not more than one-third longer
than tail ; tip of wing formed by 3d to 6th quill ; no

blue TURDID^E, 18.

lib. Wings very long, pointed, reaching beyond middle of

tail, and more than half longer; tip of wing formed

by 2d to 4th quills ; ours chiefly blue. SAXICOLID^E, 19.

act. Middle and inner toes connected at base ; small, length

less than 5 . SYLVIID.E, 20.

ft Tarsus scutellate in front.

c. Nostrils concealed by tufts of antrorse, bristly feathers.
d. First primary not more than half length of second ; bill

not notched ; length less than 8.

e. Bill as long as head ; wings pointed, much longer than
tail. . . . . . . SiTTnxas, 22.

ee. Bill much shorter than head ; wings about as long as

tail PARTD^E, 21.

dd. First primary more than half length of second ; bill
usually notched, the bristly nasal feathers branched to
their tips ; large, length more than 8. CORVID^E, 35.
cc. Nostrils exposed (rarely slightly overhung).
/. Bill distinctly notched near its tip, often hooked.

g. Tail longer than wings ; general color gray or ashy-
brown.

7i. Bill very stout, compressed, strongly notched, toothed
and abruptly hooked at tip ; large, length 8 to 9.

LANIID^E, 32.

Wi. Bill more slender, not deeply notched nor abruptly
hooked ; length 8 to 10. . . TURDID^E, 18.

40 BIRDS.

hhh. Bill very slender, not strongly notched nor hooked ;
small, length 4 to 5. . . SYLVIID^E, 20.
gg. Tail shorter than wings ; general color olivaceous ;
bill stout, notched and hooked ; length 4£ to 6i.

VIREONID.E, 31.
ff. Bill not at all notched.

i. Rictus with bristles ; quills not barred, the tail longer

than wings ; large, length 9 or more. TURDID^E, 18.

M. No rictal bristles ; wings and tail barred or undulated,

usually about equal in length, the latter of rounded

feathers ; small, length 6 or less.

TROGLODYTID.E, 24.

Hi. No rictal bristles ; tail about as long as wings, scan-

sorial, — its feathers rigid and acute, not barred ; bill

long, decurved ; length 5 to 6. . CERTHIID.E, 23.

** Primaries 9 ; the first about as long as second.

$ Bill fissirostral, — triangular, depressed, about as wide at base

as long; its wide, deep gape twice as long as the culmen,

reaching to opposite the eyes; no rictal bristles; wings

very long and pointed. . . . HIRUNDINID^, 29.

#Bill tanagrine, — stout, conic, its outlines convex, the tomia

with one or more lobes or nicks near the middle; nostrils

very high ; plumage brilliant, chiefly red ($) or yellow (9).

TANAGRID/E, 28.

\\\ Bill conirostral, — stout at base, and more or less conic;

nostrils high up ; tomia more or less evidently angulated

near the base (i. e., " corners of mouth drawn downward." )

j. Bill truly conic, much shorter than the head, usually

notched at tip, or with bristles at the rictus.

FRrNGILLID/E, 33.

jj. Bill conic, but lengthened more or less, about as long as
head (except in Dolichonyx and Molothms, the Bob-c-
link and Cowbird) ; no notch at the tip or bristles at the

rictus ICTERHX®, 34.

fttt Bill not as above, with the tomia straight, or very gently

curved.

k. Conspicuously crested ; bill triangular, depressed, notched,
and hooked; tail tipped with yellow; secondaries (in
full plumage) with red, horny tips. . AMPELIDJS, 30.

BIRDS. 41

kk. Nostrils concealed by bristly feathers ; tarsus scutellate

behind; hind claw long and nearly straight; inner

secondaries lengthened. . . . ALAUDID.E, 25.

kkk. No crest; nostrils exposed; tarsus strictly "oscine."

I. Hind claw much elongated, twice as long as middle claw,

with its toe much longer than middle toe and claw ;

bill very slender; longest secondary nearly equal to

primaries in closed wing. . MOTACTLLHXE, 26.

U. Hind claw not specially elongated, not twice as long as

middle claw ; inner secondaries not lengthened.

m. Bill stout, compressed, notched, and abruptly hooked

at tip; general color olivaceous, tail not blotched

with white or yellow. . . VIREONID.E, 31.

mm. Bill various, notched or not, but little, if at all,

hooked ; colors often brilliant. SYLVICOLID.E, 27.

II. Clamatores. Outside of tarsus covered with a series of plates

variously arranged, lapping entirely around in front and

behind to meet in a groove on the inner side ; primaries 10.

n. First primary lengthened, often longest, always more than £

length of the longest; bill broad, depressed, tapering to a

point which is abruptly hooked ; rictal bristles numerous ;

nostrils overhung but not concealed ; tail not tipped with

yellow. .... TYRANNIZE, 36.

H, FAMILIES OF PICARLE.

I. Feet zygodactyle (two toes in front, two behind) by reversion

of outer toe ; ( hallux wanting in Picoides.)

a. Tail scansorial, of 12 rigid, acuminate feathers, of which the
outer pair are short and concealed; bill stout and straight;
nasal tufts usually developed. . . . Picnx<E, 42.

aa. Tail not scansorial, of 8 to 10 long, soft feathers ; bill de-
curved ; no nasal tufts CDCHLID^E, 41.

II. Feet syndactyle, by cohesion of outer and middle toes ; tibiae

naked below ; bill stout and straight, longer than head.

ALCEDINID.E, 40.

III. Feet neither zygodactyle nor syndactyle; wings long and
pointed.

42 BIRDS.

5. Bill tenuirostral, very slender, much longer than head ; secon-
daries very short, 6 in number j plumage compact.

TKOCHILID^E, 39,
bb. Bill fissirostral, much shorter than head ; secondaries more

than 6.

c. Rictal bristles present; middle claw pectinate; plumage
lax, variegated ; length 8 or more. CAPRIMULGHX<E, 37.
cc. No rictal bristles ; plumage compact, of blended colors ;
tail feathers (in ours) spinous ; length 6 or less.

CYPSELID^E, 38.

I. FAMILIES OF PSITTACI.

I. Cere feathered, concealing the nostrils; plumage coarse and
dry, chiefly green ARID.E, 43.

J. FAMILIES OF RAPTORES.

I. Hind toe on a level with the rest, more than half length of

outer toe, and with a large claw; claws strong, sharp, much
curved; nostrils irnperforate ; head mostly feathered; bill
strongly hooked.

a. Eyes directed forwards in consequence of the great lateral

expansion of the cranium, and surrounded by a disk of

radiating bristly feathers. . . . STRIGID^E, 44.

aa. Eyes lateral ; no complete facial disk. . FALCONIIXE, 45.

II. Hind toe elevated, not more than half length of outer toe;

claws weak and little curved; nostrils perforate; head mostly
naked ; bill little hooked. . . . CATHARTID^E, 46.

K. FAMILIES OF COLTJMBJ3.

I. Head small, feathered (except sometimes a circumorbital ring);
feathers loosely inserted, . . . COLUMBID^J, 47.

L. FAMILIES OF GALLIX^B.

I. Head unfeathered, with wattles and caruncles: a tuft of bristly

feathers on breast; tarsus spurred in<5; plumage iridescent;
large, 36 or more MELEAGRIIXE, 48.

II. Head feathered ; plumage not iridescent ; size much smaller,

BIRDS. 43

Tarsus partly or entirely feathered, as is also the nasal
groove ; sides of neck usually with bare skin or pecul-
iar feathers ..... TETRAONHXE, 49.

Tarsus and nasal groove unfeathered ; no peculiar feathers
on neck ....... PERDICHXE, 50.

M. FAMILIES OP LIMICOL^E.

I. Toes lobate ; tarsus notably compressed ; body depressed.

PHAIAROPODUXE, 54.

II. Toes not lobate ; tarsus not specially compressed.

* Legs exceedingly long ; tarsus as long as tail ; bill much
longer than head, slender, acute, and curved upwards ; feet
4-toed and palmate, or 3-toed and semipalmate.

RECURVIROSTRID.E, 53.

** Bill usually shorter than head, pigeon-like, the broad, soft
base separated by a constriction from the hard tip ; head
sub-globose, on a short neck; tarsus reticulate; toes 3
(except in Squatarola). . . . CHARADRIID.E, 51.

*** Bill usually longer than head, mostly grooved, not con-
stricted, softish to its tip; tarsus scutellate; toes 4 (except
in Oalidris) ...... SCOLOPACED^, 55.

**** Not as above; bill hard, either compressed and truncate,
or acute; feet 4-toed and cleft, or 3-toed and semipalmate.

H^EMATOPODIILE, 52.

N. FAMILIES OF HERODIONES.

I. Bill long, straight, acute ; middle claw pectinate. ARDEIIXE, 56.

II. Bill curved downwards, or else flat and spoon-shaped.

TANTALUM, 57.

0. FAMILIES OF ALECTORIDES.

I. Very large ; length 36 or more, with excessively long neck and
legs; toes shorter than tarsus; bill contracted at 'the middle.

II. Smaller, length 18 or less, with comparatively short neck and
legs ; toes as long as tarsus ; bill not contracted.

RALLID^E, 59.

44 BIRDS.

P. FAMILIES OF LAMELLIROSTRES.
I. Neck and legs moderate ; tibiae feathered ; bill not decurved.

ANATID.E, 60.
Q. FAMILIES OF STEGANOPODES.

I. Bill longer than tail, many times longer than head, with the

gular pouch enormous ; wings long. . PELECANFIXE, 61.

II. Bill about as long as head, shorter than tail, which is fan-

shaped, of rigid feathers ; wings short.

PHALACROCORACIIXE, 62.

R. FAMILIES OF LONGIPENNES.

I. Nostrils not tubular, perforate; bill with a continuous covering.

LARID^E, 63.

S. FAMILIES OF PYGOPODES.

L Feet palmate; tail developed ; head closely feathered.

COLYMBID^:, 64.

II. Feet lobate ; tail undeveloped • head usually with naked loral

strip and peculiar feathers. . . . PODICIPID^E, 65.

OEDEE GL-PASSEEES.

( Passerine Birds.)

Toes always 4; feet fitted for perching; the hind toe
always on a level with the rest, its claw at least as long
as that of middle toe, and often much longer; joints of
toes respectively 2, 3, 4, 5, from first to fourth; toes
never versatile; wing coverts comparatively few, chiefly
in two series. Tail feathers 12, primaries 9 or 10.
Musical apparatus more or less developed. Sternum of
a certain uniform pattern. Nature altricial.

This group comprises the great majority of all Birds,
and they represent the " highest grade of development,
and the most complex organization of the class; their

TURDIDJE. — xvm. 45

high physical irritability is co-ordinate with the rapidity
of their respiration and circulation; they consume the
most oxygen and live the fastest of all birds." (Coues.)

FAMILY XVIIL— TURDIDJE.

(The Thrushes)

Primaries 10, the first short or spurious; bill generally
rather long, not conical, usually with a slight notch near
the tip ; nostrils oval, not concealed, but nearly or quite
reached by the bristly frontal feathers; rictus with
bristles, which are well developed in most of our species;
tarsus in typical species, "booted," i.e., enveloped in a
continuous plate, formed by the fusion of all the scutellas
except two or three of the lowest; in other species dis-
tinctly scutellate. Toes deeply cleft, the inner one free,
the outer united to the middle one, not more than half
the length of the first basal joint.

A large family of more than two hundred species,
found in most parts of the world, and embracing quite a
wide variety of forms. Nearly all of them are remark-
able for their vocal powers. Their food consists of
insects and soft fruits.

Our species fall into three strongly marked sub-families,
of which the Mimince have been often associated with
the Wrens, and the Myiadestincz with the Wax Wings.

I. The TURDIN^E, or Typical Thrushes, have the tarsus
booted, the first primary spurious, and the wings longer
than the tail. They build rather rude nests, sometimes
plastered with mud, and they lay four to six greenish or
bluish eggs, either plain or speckled. All sing well, and
some of them most exquisitely. Our species are usually
referred to the typical genus, Turdus, but we have here
separated the Wood Thrushes, as a group of full generic

46 BIRDS.

value (Hylocichla)) as suggested by Prof. Baird. (Hist.
N, Am. Birds, page 4.)

II. The MIHIN^E, or Mocking Thrushes, have the
tarsus scutellate (sometimes booted in Galeoscoptes), the
first primary scarcely spurious; the rictal bristles better
developed, and the tail relatively longer, in our species
longer than the wings. These birds have a brilliant and
varied song, but all of them are plainly clad. All are
American.

III. MYIADESTII^E, the Fly-Catching Thrushes, have
been usually associated with the Ampelidcv, but their
affinities are rather with the thrushes, as Prof. Baird has
shown. All are American, — the single species within
our limits is a rare straggler from the West.

* Tarsus booted; wiugs longer than tail. (TURDIN^.)
f Breast spotted ; length 8£, or less. . . HYLOCICHLA, 1.
ft Breast unspotted ; ( in ours) reddish or "banded with black ;

length 9|, or more " TURDUS, 2.

** Tarsus scutellate in front (scutella rarely obsolete); wings (in

ours) shorter than tail. (MIMING.)

\ Bill about as long as head, sometimes much longer, straight
or curved, not notched. . . HARPORHYNCIIUS, 3.
\\ Bill much shorter than head, notched at tip.
a. Tarsus distinctly scutellate ; ours ashy, with black and

white. MIMUS, 4.

aa. Tarsus feebly scutellate ; plumage lead-colored ; crissum

chestnut-red GALEOSCOPTES, 5.

*** Tarsus booted ; wings about equal to tail; bill short, much
depressed, notched and hooked ; color ashy. (MYIADESTIN^.)

MYIADESTES, 6.

/. HYLOCICHLA, Baird. WOOD THRUSHES.

< Turdus, Linn.

1. H. mustelina, (Gm.) Bd. WOOD THRUSH. Cinnamon
brown, brightest on the head, shading into olive on the

TUKDID^E. — XVIH. 47

rump; breast with large, very distinct dusky spots; L.
8; W. 4£; T. 3. E. U. S-, in woodland; our largest and
handsomest thrush. An exquisite songster.

2. H. pa.lia.si, (Cab.) Bd, HEKMIT THRUSH. Olive
brown above, becoming rufous on rump and tail; Abreast
with numerous, rather distinct, dusky spots; a whitish
orbital ring; L. 7; W. 3-J; T. 2£. N. Am., migrating
early.

3. H. swainsoni, (Cab.) Bd. OLIVE -BACKED THRUSH.
SWAINSON'S THRUSH. Uniform olive above; breast and
throat thickly marked with large, dusky olive spots;
breast and sides of head strongly buffy- tinted; a con-
spicuous buffy orbital ring; L. 7J; W. 4; T. 3. N. Am.

4. H. alicicB, Baird. GRAY CHEEKED THRUSH. ALICE
THRUSH. Similar to the preceding, of which it is
probably a variety, but without ring about eye, or any
buffy tint about head. E. N. Am., ranging more
northerly.

5. H. fuscescens, (Steph.) Bd. TAWNY THRUSH.
WILSON'S THRUSH. VEERY. Uniform tawny above;
breast and throat washed with brownish or pinkish
yellow, and marked with small indistinct brownish spots;
L. ?i; W. 4i; T. 3f E. N. Am., frequent, a fine
songster.

2. TURDUS, Linnaeus. THRUSHES.

* Sexes similar; breast not spotted nor banded; throat streaked;

bill notched, (Planesticus, Bon.)

1. T. tn/grator/us, L. ROBIN. AMERICAN RED BREAST.
Olive gray above; head and tail blackish; throat white,
with black streaks; under parts chestnut brown; L. 9f ;
W. 5i; T. 44. N. Am., abundant.
** Sexes unlike ; throat unstreaked ; male with a black collar; bill

not notched. (Hesperocichla, Bd.)

48 BIRDS.

2. T. n&vius, Gm. OREGON ROBIN. VARIED THRUSH.
Slate color, orange brown below; L. 9f; W. 5; T. 4.
Pacific slope, accidental in Mass., N. J., and L. I.

3. HARPORHYNCHUS, Cabanis. MOCKING THRUSHES.

1. H. rufus, (L.) Cab. BROWN THRUSH. SANDY
MOCKING BIRD. THRASHER. Cinnamon red above;
lower parts thickly spotted; bill nearly straight, shorter
and much less curved than in many other Harporhynchi,
five species of which occur in the U. S. beyond the
Rocky Mountains; L. 11; W. 4; T. 5£. E. U. S.,
abundant. A brilliant songster.

4. MIMUS, Boie. MOCKING BIRDS.

1. M. polyglottus, (L.) Boie. MOCKING BIRD. Ashy
brown above; wings blackish, with white wing bars;
tail blackish, outer feathers white; L. 9J; W. 4J; T. 5.
U. S., chiefly southerly; N. to Mass., Iowa, etc. A
renowned songster.

5. GALEOSCOPTES, Cabanis. CAT BIRDS.
< Mimus, Boie.

1. G. carolinensis, (L.) Cab. CAT BIRD. Dark slate
color; crown and tail black; crissum brownish chestnut;
L. 8|; W. 3f; T. 4. U. S., every where.

6. MYIADESTES, Swainson. FLY - CATCHING THRUSHES.

1. M. townsendi, (Aud.) Cab. TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE.
Ashy gray, paler below; wing bands buffy; tail blackish;
whitish ring about eye; young with reddish spots; L. 8;
W. 4J; T. 4J. Rocky Mountains and westward, straying
E. to Chicago. (Nelson.) An exquisite songster.

SYLVIID^E. — XX. 49

FAMILY XIX. — SAXICOLIDJE.

(The Stone Chats.)

Characters similar to those of the Thrushes, but the
wings longer and very much pointed, reaching, when
folded, beyond the middle of the short tail. Tarsus
"booted;" first primary spurious. A family scarcely
distinct from Turdidce, of about twelve genera and one
hundred species. They are chiefly Old World birds, but
two genera occurring in America. Ours are rather small
(less than seven), with oval nostrils and bristles about
the rictus.

* Chiefly or partly blue ; tarsus not longer than middle toe and
claw; bill stout SIALIA, 1.

/. SIALIA, Swainson. BLUE BIRDS.

1. S. sia/is, (L.) Haldeman. COMMON BLUE BIRD.
Bright blue above, throat and breast reddish brown,
belly white; $ usually duller with a brownish tinge on
back; young, as in others, spotted; L. 6f ; W. 4; T. 3.
E. N. Am., abundant; breeds every where.

2. S. mexicana, Sw. WESTERN BLUE BIRD. Head,
neck all around arid upper parts generally, blue; back
with more or less chestnut; breast and sides reddish
brown, otherwise bluish below; size of last. Pacific
Slope, E. to Iowa (accidental.)

3. 5. arctica, Sw. ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLUE BIRD.
Rich greenish blue; belly white; ? with pale drab,
instead of blue, on breast, etc.; size of others, or smaller.
Central Table lands chiefly, E. to Missouri R.

FAMILY XX. — SYLVIID^E.

(The Sylvias.)

Primaries 10, the first short but scarcely spurious.
Bill slender, depressed at base, notched and decurved at
3

50 BIRDS.

tip. Rictal bristles conspicuous; nostrils oval, over-
hung by a few bristles or a feather. Tarsus booted or
scutellate. Basal joint of middle toe attached its whole
length externally, half way internally. A large family
of nearly six hundred species of small birds, chiefly of
the Old World, where they take the place filled in
America by the Sylvicolidce. To this family belongs
the European nightingale. Our species fall into two
sub - families, HegulincB and JPolioptilince, each repre-
sented by its typical genus.

* Tarsus booted; wings longer than tail. . . REGULUS, 1.
** Tarsus scutellate; wings not longer than tail. POLIOPTILA, 2.

/. REGULUS, Cuvier. KINGLETS.

1. R. satrapa, Licht. GOLDEN - CROWNED KINGLET.
Olivaceous; crown with a yellow patch, bordered with
black, orange red in the center in £; extreme fore-
head and line over eye, whitish; vague dusky blotch at
base of secondaries; a tiny feather over each nostril; L.
4; W. 2J; T. If. N. Am.

2. R. calendula, (L.) Licht. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
Olivaceous; crown with a scarlet patch in both sexes,
wanting the first year; no black about head; no nasal
feather; L. 4±; W. 2J; T. If. N. Am.

2. POL/OPT/LA, Sclater. GNAT CATCHERS.

1. P. cceru/ea, (L.) Sclater. BLUE -GRAY GNAT
CATCHER. Clear ashy blue, brightest on head; whitish
below; $ with forehead and sides of crown black; outer
tail feathers chiefly white; L. 4£; W. 2; T. 2J. U. S.,
chiefly southerly; N. to Mass, and L. Mich. Noticeable
for its sprightly ways and squeaky voice, " like a mouse
with the toothache; " but really a fine singer.

PAKID^E. — XXI. 51

FAMILY XXI. — PARID^E.

(The Titmice.)

Primaries 10, first short; wings rounded; not longer
than the rounded tail. Bill much shorter than head, not
notched nor decurved at the tip; loral feathers bristly,
and nostrils concealed by dense tufts. Tarsus scutellate,
longer than middle toe and claw. Toes much soldered
at base, widened beneath into a sort of palm. Plumage
lax, little variable.

Small birds, less than seven inches long, resembling
the Jays in several respects, restless, noisy, and scarcely
migratory. Species seventy-five or more, chiefly of the
Northern hemisphere, and abounding in both continents.
* Conspicuously crested ; chiefly lead gray, paler below.

LOPHOPHANES, 1.

** Not crested ; crown, chin and throat black or brown. PAKUS, 2.

/. LOPHOPHANES, Kaup. TUFTED TITMICE.

1. L. bicolor, (L.) Bon. TUFTED TITMOUSE. Fore-
head alone black; whitish below; sides washed with
reddish; L. 6i; W. 3i; T. 3£. E. U. S., southerly; N.
to L. I. and L. Mich.; abundant in woodland and
remarkable for its loud, ringing notes. Three other
species occur in the S. W.

2. PAR US, Linnaeus. CHICKADEES.

1. P. atricapilluSf L. TITMOUSE. BLACK -CAPPED
CHICKADEE. Grayish ash; wings and tail plain with
whitish edging; crown, nape, chin and throat black;
no white superciliary line; L. 5; W. £J; T. £J. N. Am.;
abundant.

Var. carolinensfe, (Aud.) Coues. SOUTHERN CHICKA-
DEE. Smaller; tail feathers not noticeably white-edged.
E. U. S.; southerly.

52 BIEDS.

2. P. hudsonicuSf Forster. HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE.
Olive brown; crown browner; some pale chestnut below;
a white superciliary line; L. 5; W. 2j-; T. 2f. British
America; S. to Mass.

FAMILY XXII. — SITTID^E.

(The Nuthatches.)

Primaries 10, the first spurious. Wings long and
pointed, much longer than the broad soft tail. Bill not
notched, rather slender, straight, nearly as long as head.
Loral feathers bristly; nostrils concealed by dense tufts.
Tarsus scutellate, shorter than middle toe and claw.
Tongue acute, barbed. Body depressed; plumage lax,
but less so than that of the Titmice. Active, nimble
little birds, running up and down trees, and hanging in
every conceivable attitude, the head down as often - as
up. Species twenty-five or thirty, in most parts of the
world.

/. SITTA, Linnaeus. NUTHATCHES.

1. S. carolinensis, Gm. WHITE - BELLIED NUTHATCH.
"SAP SUCKER." Ashy blue above, white below; crissum,
etc., washed with rusty brown; crown and nape black,
unstriped; midd.3 tail feathers like the back, others
black, blotched with white; ? with less or no black on
the head; L. 5£; W. 3£; T. 2. U. S.; abundant every
where.

2. S. canadensis, L. RED - BELLIED NUTHATCH. Ashy
blue, brighter than the preceding, rusty brown below;
crown glossy black (5), or bluish ($), bordered by white
and black stripes; L. 4J; W. 2f ; T. If- U. S., and
northward.

3. S. pusi//a, Lath. BROWN -HEADED NUTHATCH.
Ashy blue; crown clear brown, a whitish spot on nape;

TEOGLODYTID^. — XXIV. 53

pale rusty below. L. 4; W. 2J; T. 1J. South Atlantic
States.

FAMILY XXIII. — CERTHIID^E.

(Creepers.)

Primaries 10, first less than half second. Bill slender,
as long as head; without notch or bristles, decurved.
Tarsus scutellate, shorter than middle toe. Claws all
very long, curved and compressed. Wings about as long
as tail; tail feathers pointed, with stiffened shafts, almost
wood - pecker like, and used for support in the same way.
A small family of a dozen species, widely distributed.
Habits similar to those of the Nuthatches, but the voice
different, being small and fine. (The above diagnosis
does not strictly apply to some foreign birds usually
placed in this family.)

/. CERTHIA, Linnaeus. BROWN CREEPERS.

1. C. familiaris, Linn. BROWN CREEPER. Plumage
dark brown, much barred and streaked; rump clear
tawny; L. 5|; W. 2f ; T. 2f. N. Am. and Europe. A
curious little bird, recognizable at once by the scansorial
tail.

FAMILY XXIV. — TROGLODYTID^E.
( The Wrens.)

Primaries 10, the first short but hardly spurious.
Wings rounded, usually about as long as the graduated
tail. Bill more or less slender, usually elongated, not
notched in any of our species. Nostrils oval, uiibristled,
overhung by a scale - like membrane. No rictal bristles.
Loral feathers bristly. Tarsus scutellate. Lateral toes
nearly equal ; middle toe usually united to half the basal
joint of inner toe, and to the whole of the basal joint of
the outer, or more. Quills barred in most of our species.

54 BIKDS.

A large family of small birds, chiefly belonging' to
Tropical America. Genera about sixteen; species one
hundred or more. " Our species are sprightly, fearless
and impudent little creatures, apt to show bad temper
when they fancy themselves aggrieved by cats or people,
or any thing else that is big or unpleasant to them; they
quarrel a good deal, and are particularly spiteful towards
martins and swallows, whose homes they often invade
and occupy. Their song is bright and hearty, and they
are fond of their own music; when disturbed at it they
make a great ado with noisy scolding. Part of them
(Cistothorus) live in reedy swamps and marshes, where
they hang astonishingly big globular nests, with a little
hole on one side, on tufts of rushes, and lay six or eight
dark colored eggs; the others nest any where." (Dr.
Coues.) They are all plainly colored, behig chiefly
brown. All are insectivorous, and most of them
migratory.

* Back nearly uniform in color , a conspicuous white superciliary

line ; outstretched feet falling far short of end of tail.

THRYOTHORUS, 1.

** Back barred crosswise, sometimes obscurely so ; no conspicu-
ous superciliary line; bill shorter than head; hind claw
shorter than toe.

f Tail about as long as wings. . . . TROGLODYTES, 2.
ff Tail much shorter than wings. . . ANORTHURA, 3.

*** Back streaked lengthwise, at least on shoulders; hind claw
as long as the toe ; tail barred. . . CISTOTHORUS, 4.

/. THRYOTHORUS,ViQi\\ot. MOCKING WEENS.

* Tail not longer than wings, its feathers reddish brown with fine

black bars. ( Thryothorus.)

1. T. ludovicianus, (Gm.) Bon. CAROLINA WREN.
Clear reddish brown, brightest on rump; tawny below;

TKOGLODYTID^:. — XXIV. 55

L. 6; W. 2J; T. 2J-. E. U. S., southerly; N. to Perm.;
not migratory. A remarkable singer.
** Tail longer than wings, its feathers mostly black. (Thryomanes.)
2. T. bewickii, (Aud.) Bon. BEWICK'S WREN. Grayish
brown; two middle tail feathers barred; L. 5J; W. 2i;
T. 2J. U. S., southerly; N. to Penn.

2. TROGLODYTES, Vieillot. WEENS.
1. T. aedon, Vieill. HOUSE WEEN. Brown, brightest
behind; rusty below; every where more or less waved
with darker, distinctly so on wings, tail, etc.; L. 5; W.
2; T. 2. E. U. S.; abundant every where; very variable.
< T. domesticus, (Bart.) Coues.

3. ANORTHURA, Rennie. WINTER WEENS.

1. A. troglodytes, (L.) Coues. WINTEE WREN. Deep
brown, waved with dusky; belly, wings and tail strongly
barred; L. 4; W. If; T, 1£. N. Am., northerly; U. S.,
in winter, not common. (T. hyemalis^ Vieill.)

4. C/STOTHORUS, Cabanis. MARSH WRENS.
* Bill about half as long as head ; no white superciliary line.
(Gistotlwrus.)

1. C. stellaris, (Licht.) Cab. SHORT - BILLED MARSH
WREN. Dark brown, head and back darker; entire
upper parts with white streaks; L. 4|-; W. If; T. If.
E. U. S., in marshes; rather rare.

** Bill slender, about as long as head ; a conspicuous white super-
ciliary line. (Telmatodytes, Cab.)

2. C. pa/ustris, (Wilson) Baird. LONG - BILLED MARSH
WREN. Clear brown; back with a black patch contain-
ing white streaks; otherwise unstreaked above; crown
blackish; rump brown; L. 5; W. 2; T. If. U. S.;
abundant in reedy swamps.

56 BIRDS.

FAMILY XXV. — ALAUDID^E.

(The Larks.)

First primary very short or entirely wanting. Tarsus
scutellate in front and behind (a character singular
among Osci?ies.) Bill short, of various forms in different
species; nostrils concealed by tufts of antrorse feathers.
Hind claw very long and nearly straight. Inner secon-
daries lengthened and flowing. A group of about one
hundred species, chiefly Old World birds, but a single
genus belonging to America; many of them are
renowned as vocalists.

* Primaries 9; a little tuft of lengthened black feathers over each
ear (sometimes obscure in ?.)... EREMOPHILA, 1.

/. EREMOPHILA, Boie. HORNED LARKS.

= Otocorys, Bonap.

1. E. a/pestris, (Forst.) Boie. SHORE LARK. Pinkish
brown, thickly streaked; a crescent on breast and strip
under eye black; white below; chin, throat, and line
over eye more or less yellow; $ with less black; winter
birds grayish, with the markings more obscure; L. 7£;
W. 4£; T. 3. N. Am. and Europe; common. A
pleasant singer. [22. cornuta, (Wilson) Boie.]

FAMILY XXVI. — MOTACILLID^E.

(The Wagtails.)

Primaries 9, first about as long as second; inner
secondaries enlarged, the longest one about as long as
the primaries in the closed wing. Bill shorter than the
head, very slender, straight, acute, notched at tip. Feet
large, fitted for walking; hind claw long and nearly
straight, inner toe cleft; basal joint of outer toe united
with middle one. Rictal bristles not conspicuous;
nostrils exposed.

SYLVICOLIDufE. — XXVII. 57

A group of about one hundred species, mostly of the
Old World, connecting the Alaudidce with the Sylvi-
colidce. Most of them are terrestrial. They have a
habit (shared by various others) of moving the tail up
and down, as if "balancing themselves on unsteady
footing;" hence the name "Wagtail."

* Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw; outstretched feet
falling much short of end of tail. . . . ANTHUS, 1.

/. ANTHUS, Bechstein. TITLARKS.

1. A. ludovicianus, (Gm.) Licht. BROWN LARK. TIT-
LARK. PIPIT. Dark brown, slightly streaked; superciliary
line and under parts buffy; breast and sides streaked;
outer tail feathers more or less white; L. 6^-; W. 3£; T.
3. N. Am.; generally abundant. (The Missouri Sky-
lark, Neocorys spraguei, is a near relative.)

FAMILY XXVII. — SYLVICOLID^E

(TJw Warblers)

Primaries 9; inner secondaries not enlarged, nor the
hind toe long and straight, as in Alaudidce and Motacil-
lidoe. Bill usually rather slender, notched or not; the
commissure not angulated at base, as in Fringillidce^
nor toothed in the middle, as in our Tanagrido}; the
end not notched and abruptly hooked, as in Vireonidce
and Laniidcv; the gape not broad and reaching to the
eyes, as in Sirundinidcs.

Our warblers are small birds; all (except Icteria which
may not belong here) are less than six and a half inches
in length, and very many are less than five. The rictus
is generally bristled, but in several of our genera it is
not. The colors are usually brilliant and variegated, but
the sexes are unlike, and the variations due to age and
season are great, so that the study of -the species is

58 BIRDS.

often very difficult. Many of the Warblers are pleasing
songsters, but none exhibit any remarkable powers in
that line. All are insectivorous and migratory.

This family consists of more than a hundred species,
chiefly North American, and embraces quite a wide
variety, so that the group can perhaps be only distin-
guished negatively. The SylvicolidcB grade perfectly
into the Tanagridce and Coerebidoe^ and probably the
three families, and perhaps the FringilUd^ also, should
be merged into one. Our species are divisible into
three very distinct sub - families, indicated below.

I. Bill slender, not hooked, as high as wide at base, with short
bristles not reaching much beyond nostrils, or none ; wings
longer than tail (except Geothlypis) ; length 6i or less. True
"Warblers. (SYLVICOLIEMS.)

* Tail feathers, some or all of them blotched with white.
f Rictus with evident bristles.

i Tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw; entirely black
and white, streaked. . . . MNIOTILTA, 1.

# Tarsus not shorter than middle toe and claw.

a. Hind toe decidedly longer than its claw; bill acute,
scarcely notched ; bluish, throat and middle of back

with yellow. PARULA, 2.

aa. Bill very acute, notched, perceptibly decurved, so

that the gonys is slightly concave ; rump and under

parts chiefly yellow. . . PERISSOGLOSSA, 6.

aaa. Warblers without above characters. DENDRCECA, 7.

ft Rictus without evident bristles.

6. Whole head and neck bright yellow ; bill notched, half
inch or more long. . . . PROTONOTARIA, 3.
lib. Whole head and neck not yellow; bill acute, not
notched nor bristled, less than half inch long.

HELMINTHOPHAGA, 5.

**Tail feathers yellow on inner webs; outer webs dusky;
plumage chiefly yellow. . . . DENDRCECA, 7.

SYLVICOLID^E. — XXVXI. 59

*** Tail feathers all unmarked ; same color on both webs.

c. Conspicuously streaked below; head plain or with two
black stripes ; legs long. . . . SEIURUS, 8.

cc. Not streaked below.

d. Wings about as long as tail ; chiefly yellow below ;
crown (of $) black or ashy ; legs strong.

GEOTHLYPIS, 10.
dd. Wings decidedly longer than tail.

e. Bill not notched, half inch or more long; head plain
or with four black stripes. . HELMITHERUS, 4.

ee. Bill less than half an inch long.

/. Bill notched ; wings more than 21 ; crown plain or
with black OPORORNIS, 9.

ff. Bill not notched, nor bristled, very acute ; wings less
than 2% ; crown plain or with a bright spot.

HELMINTHOPHAGA, 5.

II. Bill rather stout, not notched, hooked nor bristled ; tail longer

than wings; length 7 to 8. Chats. (!CTERIN^E.)

ICTERIA, II.

III. Bill depressed, broader at base than high, notched and some-
what hooked, with strong rictal bristles half the length of
bill ; wings longer than tail ; length 5i or less. Fly-catching
Warblers. (SETOPHAGIN^E.)

a. Bill fully twice as long as wide at base ; tail feathers un-
marked, or blotched with white. . MYIODIOCTES, 12.

aa. Bill scarcely twice as long as wide at base ; tail marked
with orange or yellow. . . . SETOPHAGA, 13.

/. MMOTILTA, Vieillot. CREEPING WARBLERS.

1. /Iff. varia, (L.) Vieill. BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER.
Entirely black and white, streaked; crown with a broad
white stripe; white wing bars; $ grayer; L. 5; W. 2f;
T. 2£. E. U. S.; a neat bird, with some of the habits of
a Nuthatch.

60 BIEDS.

2. PAR U LA, Bonaparte. BLUE YELLOW - BACKED

WARBLERS.
= C Moris, Boie.

= Sylvicola, Sw. (Preoccupied in Mollusks.)
1. P. americana, (L.) Bon. BLUE YELLOW- BACKED
WARBLER. Clear ashy blue; back with a large golden-
green patch; yellow below, belly white; a brown band
across breast; white wing bars. $ obscurely marked; L.
4£; W. 2£; T. 2. Miss. Valley and E. One of our most
elegant species, inhabiting tree-tops.

3. PROTONOTARIA,^\r&. GOLDEN SWAMP WARBLERS.
1. P. citrcea, (Bodd.) Bd. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER.
GOLDEN - HEADED WARBLER. Front and lower parts
brilliant yellow; back, wings, etc., olivaceous; bill long;
L. 5i; W. 3; T. 2±. U. S., southward; N. to Wabash
Valley, in bushy swamps, rather rare, one of the most
beautiful of our birds.

4. HELMITHERUS, Rafinesque. SWAMP WARBLERS.

1. H. verm Ivor us, (Gm.) Bon. WORM-EATING SWAMP
WARBLER. Olive gree head yellowish, with four black
stripes; buffy below; ? similar; L. 5J; W. 3; T. £•£. E.
U. S.; N. to L. Erie.

5. HELMINTHOPHAGA, Cabanis. WORM -EATING

WARBLERS.
* Tail feathers conspicuously blotched with, white.

1. H. chrysoptera, (L.) Bd. BLUE GOLDEN- WINGED
WARBLER. Ashy blue; forehead, crown and wing bars
bright yellow; throat and broad stripe through eye,
black, white below; $ duller; L. 5; W. 2|; T. 2±. S.E.
States, rather rare; N. to Green Bay; a beautiful species.

2. H. pinus, (L.) Bd. BLUE -WINGED YELLOW WARE -

SYLVICOLID^J. — XXVII. 61

LEE. Olive yellow; crown and all under parts bright
yellow; wing bars whitish; loral strip black; $ similar;
L. 4J; W. 2i; T. 2. S. E. States, N. to N. Y. A hand-
some bird, like a miniature Protonotaria.
** Tail feathers without white blotches.

3. H. ruficapilla, (Wils.) Bd. NASHVILLE WARBLER.
Olive green, ashy on head and neck; crown patch bright
chestnut, more or less concealed; bright yellow below;
lores and orbital ring pale; £ duller, crown patch obscure;
L. 4f ; W. &J; T. 2. E. U. S., frequent.

4. H. celata, (Say.) Bd. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.
Olive green, never ashy on head; crown patch orange
brown, more or less concealed; greenish yellow below;
$ duller, sometimes without crown patch; L. 4f ; W. 2-$i
T. 2. Miss. Valley, S. & W.; rare E.

5. H. peregrina, (Wils.) Cab. TENNESSEE WARBLER.
Olive green; no crown patch; white or slightly yellowish
below; L. 4|; W. 2f ; T. If. E. U. S., not common.

6. PERISSOGLOSSA, Baird. FRINGED TONGUE
WARBLERS.

1. P. tigrina, (Gm.) Bd. CAPE MAY WARBLER.
Olivaceous above with darker streaks; rump and sides
of neck bright yellow; yellow below, much streaked with
black; crown black or nearly so; ear coverts orange
brown, a white wing patch; $ duller, with no black or
reddish about head; L. 5J; W. 2f; T. 2. E. U. S.,
rather rare. A fine species with a peculiar structure of
the tongue, which is somewhat as in Ccerebiclce.

7. DENDRCECA, Gray. WOOD WARBLERS.'
A large genus comprising about thirty species of
brightly colored little birds, all American, and very
abundant in the United States during the migrations.

62 BIEDS.

Our species, though well marked, are often difficult to
determine when not in full plumage. The tail feathers
are always marked with white or yellow, and the bill is
but moderately pointed, notched and with evident
bristles at the rictus.

The following artificial analysis, partially borrowed
from Coues3 key to the genus, will generally enable the
student to distinguish specimens.

* Tail feathers edged with yellow ; plumage chiefly yellow.

(Estiva, 1.
** Tail feathers blotched with white.

f A white blotch on the primaries near their bases ; no wing

bars cce-rulescem, 2.

ff No white blotch on primaries ; wing bars, if present, not white.

White below ; crown and wing patch more Or less yellow.

pennsylvanica, 6.
Yellow below ; sides reddish-streaked ; crown reddish.

palmarum, 15.
Yellow below, sides black-streaked.

Back olive with reddish spots. . . . discolor, 12.

Back ashy Mrtlancli, 11.

fff No white blotch on primaries ; wing bars or wing patch

white.
\ Rump yellow: —crown clear ash; yellow and streaked

below maculosa, 4.

— Crown with yellow spot ; white and
streaked below. . coronata, 3.

$ Rump not yellow.

Crown with orange or yellow spot; throat orange or yellow.

blacteburnicB, 9.

Crown black ; no distinct yellow any where : much streaked.

striata, 8.

Crown blue or greenish, like the back ; no definite yellow.

ccerulea, 5.

Crown chestnut, like the throat; no definite yellow ; buffy
below. . castanea, 7.

SYLVICOLID^E. — XXVII. 63

•

Crown bluish or yellowish, not as above— some yellow.
Throat black (sometimes obscured by yellow tips to
feathers) ; outer tail feather white-edged. wrens, 13.
Throat yellow; —back ashy blue; cheeks black.

dominica, 10.

—back 'yellowish olive; cheeks same.

pinus, 14.

We copy from Coues' key the following valuable

DIAGNOSTIC MARKS OF WARBLERS IN ANY PLUMAGE.
A white spot at base of primaries. . . . ccerulescens, 2.
Wings and tail dusky, edged with yellow. . . (estiva, I.
Wing bars and belly yellow. . , . . discolor, 12.
Wing bars yellow and belly pure white. . pennsylvanica, 6.
Wing bars white and tail spots oblique, at end of two outer

feathers only pinus, 14.

Wing bars brownish ; tail spots square at end of two outer feathers

only. . palmarwn, 15.

Wing bars not evident ( ?) ; whole under parts yellow ; back with

no greenish kirtlandi, 11.

Tail spots at end of nearly all the feathers, and no definite yellow

any where carulea, 5.

Tail spots at middle of nearly all the feathers ; rump and belly

yellow maculosa, 4.

Rump, sides of breast (usually) and crown with yellow ; throat

white coronata, 3.

Throat definitely yellow; belly white; back with no greenish.

dominica, 10.

Throat yellow or orange ; crown with at least a trace of a central
yellow or orange spot, and outer tail feather white-edged
externally Uackburnice, 9.

Throat, breast and sides black, or with black traces (seen on part-
ing the feathers); sides of head with diffuse yellow; outer
tail feather white-edged externally. . . . wrens, 13.

With none of the foregoing special marks.

striata 8 or castanea 7 .

64 BIRDS.

1. D. (Estiva, (Gm.) Bd. SUMMER WARBLER. GOLDEN
WARBLER. Chiefly golden yellow; back olive yellow;
breast and sides with orange brown streaks; quills
dusky, edged with yellow; $ similar, scarcely streaked;
L. 5£; W. 2J; T. 2£. America; everywhere abundant.

2. D. ccerulescens, (L.) Bd. BLACK - THROATED BLUE
WARBLER. Rich gray blue, with a few dusky streaks
on back; throat, sides of head, neck and sides of body
black, otherwise pure white below; quills black, edged
with blue; $ dull olive greenish, obscurely marked, known
by the blotch on the primaries; L. 5|; W. 2f; T. 2£.
E. U. S.; an elegant species, not uncommon in woodland.

3. D. coronaia, (L.) Gray. YELLOW - RUMPED WARE -
LER. MYRTLE WARBLER. Bluish ash above, streaked
with black; white below with large blackish streaks;
crown patch, rump and sides of breast bright yellow,
there being four definite yellow places; ? and young
brownish, with less yelloV on breast and head; L. 5|;
W. 3; T. 2J-. U. S., very abundant. The earliest
migrant.

4. D. maculosa, (Gm.) Bd. BLACK AND YELLOW
WARBLER. MAGNOLIA WARBLER. Back black, with
olive skirtings; rump yellow; head clear ash; a white
stripe behind eye; sides of head black, under parts
(except the white crissum) rich yellow, with black streaks
which are confluent on breast; ? similar, more olivaceous,
with much less black; L. 5; W. 2J-; T. 2£. E. U. S.
A brilliant little bird, common in woodlands.

5. D. carulea, (Wils.) Bd. CERULEAN WARBLER.
Bright blue with black streaks; white below; breast and
sides with bluish lines; $ not streaked, greenish above,
slightly yellowish below; L. 4£; W. 2J; T. 2. E. U. S.;
N. to Niagara Falls; rather rare. A dainty species.

SYLVICOLID^. — XXVII. 65

6. D. pennsylvanica, (L.) Bd. CHESTNUT - SIDED
WAKBLER. Blackish above ; much streaked ; crown
clear yellow; black patch about eye; pure white below;
a line of bright chestnut streaks along sides; wing patch
yellowish (never clear white); $ similar but with less
chestnut and black; L. 5; W. 2£; T. 2£. E. U. S.j
abundant, especially northward. A pretty species.

7. D. casfanea, (Wils.) Bd. BAY-BREASTED WARBLER.
AUTUMN WARBLER. Back black and olive; thickly
streaked; forehead and sides of head black enclosing a
deep chestnut crown patch; chin, throat and sides, dull
chestnut, otherwise pale buffy below; $ more olivaceous
with less chestnut; young scarcely distinguishable from
striataj L. 5; W. 3; T. 2J. E. U. S. Not very common.

8. D. striatUf (Forst.) Bd. BLACK-POLL WARBLER.
Black and olivaceous, almost every where streaked; whole
crown pure black; $ more olivaceous, slightly yellowish
below; rather large; L. 5f; W. 3; T. 2±. E. U. S.; the
last to migrate. "When the Black -Polls appear in
force, the collecting season is about over," (Cones.)

9. D. blackburnice, (Gm.) Bd. ORANGE - THROATED
WARBLER. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. HEMLOCK
WARBLER. Black above with whitish streaks; crown
patch, superciliary line, sides of neck and the whole
throat brilliant orange or flame color, fading into yellow-
ish on the belly; $ similar, but olive and bright yellow
instead of black and orange; L. 5J; W. 2f ; T. 2£. E.
U. S. ; abundant among the tree-tops. The most brilliant
species.

10. D. dominion, (L.) Bd. YELLOW-THROATED WARB-
LER. Ashy blue; throat bright yellow; belly white;
cheeks black ; superciliary line white or yellowish in
front; L. 5; W. 2f: T. 2$. Southern States; N. to

66 BIRDS.

Perm., Central Indiana and Kansas; rare northward.
A neat, plain species, with the habits of a creeper.

11. D. kirtlandi, Bd. KIRTLAND'S WAKBLEE. Ashy
blue above; yellow and streaked below; lores black; L.
5}; W. 2f; T. 2f. Ohio and the Bahamas. Two or
three specimens known.

12. D. discolor, (Vieill.) Bd. PRAIRIE WARBLER. Olive
yellow; back with a patch of red spots; forehead,
superciliary line, wing bars and under parts bright
yellow; streaked below; sides of head with black; $
similar; L. 4f ; W. S&i; T. 2. E. U. S., N. to Mass, and
Ills.; chiefly in evergreen thickets. An elegant species.

13. D. virenSf (Gm.) Bd. BLACK - THROATED GREEN
WARBLER. Clear yellow olive; sides of head rich
yellow; whole throat and breast jet black, the color
extending along the sides; otherwise whitish below; $
and winter birds with the black interrupted or veiled
with yellowish; L. 5; W. 2J; T. 2%. E. U. S.; abundant.

14. D. pinus, (Wils.) Bd. PINE-CREEPING WARBLER.
Yellow olive above; under parts and superciliary line
yellow; no sharp markings any where; ? more grayish;
L. 5f ; W. 3; T. 2J. E. U. S., N. to Mass, and L.
Superior; abundant in evergreen forests.

15. D. palmarum, (Gm.) Bd. YELLOW RED- POLL
WARBLER. PALM WARBLER. Brownish olive above,
somewhat streaked, rump brighter; crown bright chest-
nut; superciliary line and under parts yellow with brown
streaks; no wing bars; $ similar; L. 5; W. 2f ; T. 2%.
E. N. A. ; abundant ; terrestrial ; less beautiful than
most of the group.

8. SEIURUS, Swainson. WATER THRUSHES.
1. S. aurocapilluSt (L.) Sw. GOLDEN - CROWNED
THRUSH. OVEN-BIRD. Bright olive green, white

SYLVICOLID^E. — XXVII. 67

below, sharply spotted on breast and sides, after the,
fashion of the Thrushes; crown orange brown, with two
black stripes; L. 6£; W. 3; T. 2$. U. S.; abundant in
woodland, spending most of its time on the ground, like
the other species of this genus, and the next two; re-
markable for its loud, ringing song, and its curious oven-
shaped nest; the largest of the true Warblers.

2. S. noveboracensis, (Gm.) Nutt. WATER WAGTAIL.
WATER THRUSH. Dark olive brown above, pale yellow-
ish beneath, thickly spotted every where with the color
of the back; a yellowish superciliary line; bill about a
half inch long; feet dark; L. 6; W. 3; T. 2$. N. Am.;
abundant in low thickets; moves its tail like a Wagtail.

3. S. motac///a, (Vieill.) Bon. LARGE - BILLED WATER
THRUSH. Same general color as last, but white or pale
buffy below, and less sharply spotted; bill much larger,
about f inch; feet pale; larger; L. 6J; W. 3±; T. 2£.
E. U. S., scarce; N. to Mass. (Allen) and N. Wis.
(Jordan.) (S. ludomcianus^ authors.)

9. OPORORNIS, Baird. NIMBLE WARBLERS.

1. 0. agilis, (Wils.) Bd. CONNECTICUT WARBLER.
Olive green, ashy on head; throat and breast brownish
ash, otherwise yellow below; no sharp markings; in fall
more olivaceous; L. 5f ; W. 3; T. 2%. E. U. S., rare; a
shy, quiet bird.

2. 0. formosuSr (Wils.) Bd. KENTUCKY WARBLER.
Clear olive green, bright yellow below; crown and sides
of head and neck black, with a rich yellow superciliary
stripe, which bends around the eye behind; L. 5f ; W. 3;
T. 2^. E. U. S., chiefly southerly, N. to Wis. and Conn.;
in low thickets, not generally common; a handsome and
active species.

68 BIRDS.

10. GEOTHLYPIS, Cabanis. GROUND WARBLEES.

1. G. tr/chaSf (L.) Cab. MARYLAND YELLOW THROAT.
BLACK - MASKED GROUND WARBLER. Olive green ; fore-
head and broad mask extending down sides of head and
neck jet black, bordered behind with clear ash; under
parts yellow, clear on throat and breast; $ obscurely
marked, without black mask and with less yellow; L. 4J;
W. 2£; T. 2£. U. S., abundant in thickets; a pretty
bird with a lively song.

2. G. Philadelphia, (Wils.) Bd. MOURNING WARBLER.
Bright olive, clear yellow below; head ashy; throat and
breast black, the feathers usually ashy - skirted (as
though the bird wore crape, hence " Mourning Warb-
ler"); $ and $ not in full plumage almost exactly like
O. agillS) but the tail as long as wings; L. 5|; W. 2£;
T. 2£. E. U. S., rather rare, in dense thickets.

//. ICTERIA, Vieillot. YELLOW - BREASTED CHATS.

1. /. virens, (L.) Bd. YELLOW - BREASTED CHAT.
Olive -green; throat and breast bright yellow; belly
abruptly white; lores black, a white superciliary line;
wings and tail plain; tarsus almost booted; L. 7£; W.
3i; T. 3J. U. S., southerly; N. to Mass, and Wis. (Cope-
land.) A loud, quaint songster, often placed with the
Vireosy but having little affinity with any of our groups.

12. MYIODIOCTES, Audubon. FLY-CATCHING WARBLERS.

= Wilsoma, Nuttall (used in Botany).
1. M. mitratus, (Gm.) Aud. HOODED FLY -CATCHING
WARBLER. YELLOW- MASKED WARBLER. Bright yellow-
olive, crown and neck all around jet black, enclosing a
broad golden mask; under parts from the breast bright
yellow; tail with white blotches; $ olive instead of

c — XXVIII. 69

black; L. 5; W. 2f ; T. 2£. E. U. S., southerly; N. to
L. Erie; a singular species.

2. Af. pusillus, (Wils.) Bonap. GREEN BLACK-CAPPED
FLY-CATCHING WARBLER. Clear yellow-olive; crown
glossy black; forehead, lores, sides of head and entire
under parts bright yellow; wings and tail unblotched; $
with less black; L. 4f; W. 2£; T. 2£. U. S.; abundant.

3. M. canadensis, (L.) And. CANADA FLY - CATCHING
WARBLER. Bluish ash; crown speckled with black;
under parts (except white crissum) clear yellow; lores
black, continuous with black under the eye, and this
passing as a chain of black streaks down the side of the
jieck and encircling the breast like a necklace; wings
and tail plain; $ similar, with less black; L. 5£; W. 2f ;
T. 2£. E. U. S., to the Missouri, frequent. One of the
handsomest Warblers.

13. SETOPHAGA, Swainson. AMERICAN REDSTARTS.

1. $. ruticiila, (L.) Sw. REDSTART. Black; sides of
breast and large blotches on wings and tail orange-red;
belly white, reddish tinged; ? olive, similarly marked
with reddish yellow; L. 5i; W. 2£; T. 2£. E. U. S.,
very abundant. A handsome and active Fly-Catcher.

FAMILY XXVIII. — TAN AGRID^E.

(The Tanagers.)

Primaries 9; bill usually conical, sometimes depressed
or attenuated, the culmen curved; cutting edges not
much inflected, sometimes toothed, notched or serrated;
tarsus scutellate. Legs short; claws long; colors usually
brilliant. A large family of three hundred or more
species, confined to the warmer parts of America, and
embracing a wide diversity of forms. Some have slender
bills and are scarcely distinguishable from the Warblers.

70 BIEDS.

Others, like our Pyranga^ have stout conical bills and are
very closely related to the Finches. The single North
American genus has a stout, sparrow - like bill, notched
at the tip, and more or less evidently toothed or lobed
near the middle of the upper mandible.

/. PYRANGA,Viei\lot. FIRE TANAGERS.

1. P. rubra, (L.) Vieill. SCARLET TANAGER. $ brilliant
scarlet; wings and tail black, no wing bars; ? clear olive
green; clear greenish yellow below; L. 7£; W. 4; T. 3.
E. U. S.; abundant in woodland; a respectable songster.

2. P. oestsva, (L.) Vieill. SUMMER RED BIRD. $
bright rose red throughout; wings a little dusky; $ dull
brownish olive, dull yellowish below; no wing bars; bill
and feet paler than in P. rubra; size of last. E. U. S.,
chiefly southerly; N. to N. J. and Ills.; abundant.

FAMILY XXIX. — HIRUNDINID.E.

(The Swallows.}

Primaries 9; bill " fissirostral," i. e., short, broad, tri-
angular, depressed, the gape wide and about twice as
long as the culmen, reaching to about opposite the eyes.
Wings very long and pointed, the first primary usually
longest, and twice as long as the last; secondaries very
short. Tail more or less forked. Feet weak; tarsus
scutellate, shorter than middle toe and claw. Plumage
compact, and more or less lustrous.

A very natural family of about one hundred species,
found all over the world. All are strong on the wing,
insectivorous, and usually migratory.

* Plumage above more or less lustrous blue-black or green ; no
tarsal tuft nor recurved hooks on outer primary.

f Tail deeply forked; outer feathers attenuate and blotched with
white HIBUNDO, 1.

HIEUNDINID^E. — XXIX. 71

f f Tail scarcely forked ; rump and forehead not colored like the

back PETROCHELIDON, 3.

fff Tail somewhat forked , unblotched ; rump and forehead

colored like the back.
a. Lustrous green or violaceous; pure white below; length

less than 6i TACHYCINETA, 2.

aa. Lustrous blue-black ; ? paler and wrhitish below ; length

more than 6i. . PROGNE, 6.

** Plumage brownish-gray; scarcely lustrous and without shades

of blue or green.
&. A little tuft of feathers on tarsus at base of hind toe; edge of

wing smooth. COTYLE, 4.

&&. Outer web of first primary more or less saw-like, with a
series of minute recurved hooks ; no tarsal tuft.

STELGIDOPTERYX, 5.

/. HIRUNDO, Linnaeus. SWALLOWS.
1. H. horreorum, Barton. BARN SWALLOW. Lustrous
steel-blue, pale chestnut below ; forehead and throat
deep chestnut; an imperfect steel-blue collar; tail very
deeply forked; L. 7; W. 5; T. 4£. N. Am., abundant;
breeding in colonies about barns, etc.

2. TACHYCINETA, Cabanis. WHITE- BELLIED SWALLOWS.
1. T. bicolor, (Vieill.) Coues. WHITE - BELLIED SWAL-
LOW. Lustrous green, pure white below; ? duller; L.
6i; W. 5; T. 2f. N. Am., abundant about water,
nesting in trees, etc.; a handsome swallow.

3. PETROCHELIDON, Cabanis. CLIFF SWALLOWS.
1. P. lunifrons, (Say.) Cab. CLIFF SWALLOW. EAVE
SWALLOW. Lustrous steel blue; forehead, sides of head,
throat, rump, etc., of various shades of chestnut; a blue
spot on breast, belly whitish; L. 5£; W. 4£; T. 2£. N.
Am., abundant, formerly nesting in cliffs, but now under
the eaves of barns, etc.

72 BIEDS.

4. COTYLE, Boie. BANK SWALLOWS.
1. C. r/paria, (L.) Boie. BANK SWALLOW. SAND
MARTIN. Dark gray, not iridescent, white below, a
brown shade across the breast; L. 4f ; W. 4; T. 2. N.
Am., abundant, breeding in holes in sandbanks, etc.

5. STELGIDOPTERYX, Baird. ROUGH -WINGED
SWALLOWS.

1. S. serr/penn/s, (Aud.) Bd. ROUGH -WINGED
SWALLOW. Brownish gray; wing hooks weak in $; L.
5i; W. 4-J; T. 2|. U. S., not common, rare eastward,
breeding in banks, etc.

6. PROGNE, Boie. MARTINS.

1. P. sub/Sf (L.) Bd. PURPLE MARTIN. Lustrous
blue -black throughout; ? duller, whitish and streaky
below; bill stout, almost hooked; L. 7£; W. 6; T. o|.
N. Am., abundant. (P. purpurea, Auct.)

FAMILY XXX. — AMPELID^E.

(The Chatterers.)

Primaries 10, or apparently 9, the first sometimes
rudimentary and displaced; bill stout, triangular, de-
pressed, decidedly notched and hooked, with the gape
very wide. Nostrils overhung by membrane covered
with bristly feathers. Tarsus short, with the lateral
plates more or less subdivided, and often scarcely oscine
in character; lateral toes nearly equal. As here con-
stituted, a small group of six or eight species, the
MyidestincB usually brought into this connection being
really TurdidcB^ as shown by Prof. Baird. There are
two sub - families, bearing but little resemblance to each
other, — Ptilogonydince, of the warmer parts of N.
America, and AmpelinoB^ of the northern parts of both
hemispheres.

VIREONID^E. — XXXI. 73

The Ampelince constitute a single genus of three
species. All are crested birds with a soft plumage of a
handsome cinnamon drab color; the ends of the secon-
daries, and sometimes of the tail feathers, also, are
tipped with horny appendages, looking like red sealing-
wax.

The tail is short and square, much shorter than the
long wings, and in our species it is tipped with yellow.
The Wax Wings are migratory and gregarious, feeding
on insects and soft fruits. Their voices are weak and
wheezy, and they can scarcely be considered as songsters.

/. AMPELIS, Linmeus. WAX WINGS.

1. A. garru/us, L. BOHEMIAN WAX WING. NORTHERN
WAX WING. General color an indescribable silky, ashy
brown with a red tinge; front and sides of head shaded
with purplish cinnamon ; a black band across forehead
around head; throat black; crissum chestnut red; two
broad white wing bars; L. 7^; W. 4£; T. 3. Northern
regions, S. in winter in large flocks to the Great Lakes;
an interesting and beautiful bird.

2. A. cedrorum, (Vieill.) Bd. CEDAR BIRD. CHERRY
BIRD. SOUTHERN WAX WING. Similar but smaller and
less cinnamon-tinged, chin black; strip across face black,
bordered above by whitish; belly yellowish; crissum
white; no wing bars; ? with the wax-like appendages
small or wanting; L. 6|; W. 3f ; T. 2|. E. U. S.,
abundant.

FAMILY XXXI. — VIREONID^E.

(The Vireos.)

Primaries 10, or apparently only 9, the first being
sometimes rudimentary and displaced. Bill shorter than
head, stout, compressed, decidedly notched and hooked.

4

74 BIRDS.

Rictus with bristles. Nostrils exposed, overhung by a
scale, reached by the bristly frontal feathers. Tarsus
scutellate; toes soldered at base for the whole length of
basal joint of middle one, which is united with the basal
joint of the inner and the two basal joints 'of the outer;
lateral toes usually unequal.

A rather small family, comprising sixty or seventy
species of small olivaceous birds, all American. The
coloration is usually blended and varies little with age
or sex. All are insectivorous, and many of them are
remarkable as songsters.

Concerning the " nine-primaried " species, Prof. Baird
remarks: "In V. flavifrons, in which the outer primary
is supposed to be wanting, its presence may be easily
appreciated. One of the peculiar characters of this
species consists in a narrow edging of white to all the
primary quills, while the primary coverts (the small
feathers covering their bases, as distinguished from what
are usually termed the wing coverts, which more properly
belong to the forearm or secondaries) are without them.
If these coverts are carefully pushed aside, two small
feathers considerably shorter than the others will be dis-
closed, one overlying the other, which (the under one)
springs from the base of the exposed portion of the
long outermost primary, and lies immediately against its
outer edge. This small feather is stiif, falcate, and
edged with white like the other quills, and can be
brought partly around on the inner edge of the large
primary, when it will look like any spurious quill. The
overlying feather is soft, and without light edge.

In the other Vireos, with appreciable spurious or short
outer primary, a similar examination will reveal only one
small feather at the outer side of the base of the exterior
large primary.

VIREONIDJE.- -XX XT. 75

In all the families of Passeres, where the existence of
nine primaries is* supposed to be characteristic, I have
invariably found, as far as my observations have extend-
ed, that there were two of the small feathers referred to,
while in those of ten primaries but one would be
detected."

* Wings long and pointed, i or more longer than the tail ; first

primary very small or apparently wanting, less than i length

of second VIREOSYLVIA, 1.

** Wings relatively short and rounded, not one -fourth longer
than the tail ; first primary f or more length of second ; bill
stout . . • VIREO, 2.

/. VIREOS YL VIA, Bonaparte. LONG - WINGED VIREOS.
< Vireo, Vieillot.

* Slender species, the bill slender, light horn color, pale below;

commissure straight and culmen relatively so; no wing bars
nor conspicuous orbital ring ; feet weak. ( Vireosylvia, )
f Primaries apparent^ 9.

1. /. olivacea, (L.) Bon. RED - EYED VIREO. GREEN-
LET. Olive green, crown ashy, edged on each side with
blackish; a white superciliary line, and below this a
dusky streak; white below, somewhat olive shaded; eyes
red; L. 6; W. 3J; T. 2£. E. U. S., very abundant in
woodland; an energetic songster.

2. V. philadelphica, Cassin. PHILADELPHIA GREENLET.
Dull olive green, becoming ashy on crown; no black
lines on head; a whitish superciliary line; below faintly
yellowish, fading to white on throat, etc.; L. 4f ; W. 2f ;
T. 2J. E. U. S., scarce.

ft Primaries evidently 10.

3. /. gilva, (Vieill.) Cass. WARBLING VIREO. Colors
exactly as in the preceding, but the spurious quill
evident; L. 5£; W. 2f ; T. 2£. E. N. A., frequent; an
exquisite songster, nesting in tall trees in cities, etc.

76 BIEDS.

** Stout species ; the bill short and stout, blue-black ; both culmen
and commissure decidedly curved ; a pale stripe running from
bill to and around eye; white wing bars; quills blackish,
mostly edged with white ; feet stout. (Lanimreo> Bd.)
\ Primaries apparently 9.

4. V. flavifrons, (Vieill.) Baird. YELLOW - THROATED
VIREO. Rich olive green above, becoming ashy on
rump; bright yellow below; belly white; superciliary
line and orbital ring yellow; L. 5f; W. 3; T. 2.
E. U. S., abundant; a brightly colored species.

Jt Primaries evidently 10.

5. If. so/itaria, (Wils.) Baird. BLUE - HEADED VIREO.
SOLITARY GREENLET. Bright olive green; crown and
sides of head bluish ash; stripe to and around eye white,
a dusky line below it; white below, somewhat washed
with pale yellow; L. 5f ; W. 3; T. 2£. U. S., in wood-
land, frequent; a stout, handsome species.

2. K//?£0, Vieillot. SHORT - WINGED VIREOS.

1. If. noveboracens/Sf (Gm.) Bonap. WHITE -EYED
VIREO. Bright olive green, white below; sides and
crissum bright yellow; pale wing bars; stripe from bill
to and around eye, yellow; eyes white; L. 5; W. 2^;
T. 2£. E. U. S., in thickets; a sprightly bird, with a loud
and varied song.

2. If. belli, Aud. BELL'S VIREO. Olive-green, yellow
below, chin and superciliary line whitish; wing bars
whitish; L. 4J; W. 2|; T. 2. Western, E. to Ills, and
Neb. Resembles V. gilva.

FAMILY XXXIL— LANIIDJE.

(The Shrikes.)

Primaries 10, the first short (rarely wanting) ; bill hawk-
like, very strong, the upper mandible toothed and ab-

FRINGILLIDJ3. — XXXIH. 77

ruptly hooked at the tip ; both mandibles distinctly

notched. Wings short, rounded. Tail long. Tarsus

scutellate on the outside as well as in front. Sexes alike.

Species about 100, found in most parts of the world,

remarkable for their energy and pugnacity.

* Rictus with bristles ; nostrils concealed by bristly tufts ; colors

black, white and gray COLLUKIO, 1.

/. COLLURIO, Vigors. SHRIKES.

1. C. borealis, (Vieill.) Baird. GREAT NORTHERN
SHRIKE. BUTCHERBIRD. Clear bluish ash above; black
bars on side of head not meeting in front, interrupted
by a white crescent on under eyelid; rump and shoulders
whitish; wings black; white below, waved with blackish;
L. 9£; W. 4^; T. 4f. Northern regions, S in winter to
Ohio R. and Potomac.

2. C. ludovicianus, (L.) var. excubHoroides, (Sw.)
Coues. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. Clear ashy blue ; a
whitish superciliary line; black bars on sides of head
meeting across forehead; no crescent on under eyelid;
white below scarcely or not dark- waved; L. 8£; W. 4;
T. 4±. Western, E. to L. Michigan and Ohio R.

FAMILY XXXIII. — FRINGILLID^E.

(The Finches)

Primaries 9. Tarsus strictly oscine. Bill mostly
shorter than head, robust, of a conical form, with the
commissure more or less abruptly angulated near its
base; in other words, the "corners of the mouth drawn
down." This feature is usually unmistakeable, and it is
almost the only character pertaining to all the members
of the family. Even this is also shared by the Icteridce,
which, however, may generally be distinguished by the
greater length and slenderness of the bill.

78 BIKDS.

A very large family, the most extensive in Ornithology,
comprising about one hundred genera and five hundred
species, found in nearly every part of the world, except
Australia. They are especially abundant in North
America, where about one-eighth of all the birds are
Fringillidce. " Any one United States locality of aver-
age attractiveness to birds, has a bird-fauna of over two
hundred species, and if it be away from the sea-coast,
and consequently uninhabited by marine birds, about
one-fourth of the species are Sylvicolidce and Fringil-
lidce together, the latter somewhat in excess of the
former. It is not easy, therefore, to give undue promi-
nence to these two families." (Coues.)

All the Finches are granivorous, feeding chiefly on
seeds, but not rejecting either berries or insects; nearly
all sing, and some most delightfully; most of them are
plainly clad, a streaky brown being the prevailing tint,
but others are among the most brilliantly colored birds.
Among these latter only are the changes in plumage
strongly marked.

The following key to the genera is aoout as artificial
.as it well could be, but a more natural one would be less
easy of application, The characters here assigned are
seldom truly generic.
* Species of large size ; length at least more than 7£.

f Tail longer than wings.

a. Conspicuously crested, chiefly red or rosy-tinted ; bill very
large, reddish. . CARDINALIS, 23.

aa. Not crested ; black or brown with chestnut on sides ;
wings and tail with white; bill moderate, black,

PIPILO, 24.
aaa. Not crested, head mostly black; no white on tail.

ZONOTRICHIA, 13,
ft Tail shorter than wings.

6. Bill very large and stout. (" Grosbeaks.")

FRLNGILL1D.E. — XXXHI, 79

c. Black and white («?) or brown, streaked (?) ; under wing

coverts rosy or yellow. . . . GONIAPHEA, 20.

cc. Rosy red (<$) or gray with brownish yellow on head and
rump ($). ...... PINICOLA, 2.

ccc. Bill greenish yellow, as long as tarsus ; wings and tail
black; secondaries mostly white. HESPERIPHONA, 1.
&&. Bill moderate or small.

d. White, with black on wings and tail, or washed with

clear brown ; hind toe elongated. PLECTROPHANES, 7.
dd. Streaked above ; head striped ; tail about as long as

wings. ZONOTRICHIA, 13.

** Species of medium or small size; length 7i or less.
$ Mandibles long and much curved, their points crossed ; colors

chiefly red or olive LOXIA, 4.

\\ Hind claw straightish, twice as long as middle claw ; colors
black, white and brown. . . PLECTROPHANES, 7.
\\\ With neither of the preceding combinations.
«. No where decidedly spotted or streaked (sometimes appear-
ing mottled owing to the darker centers of the feathers).
/. Blackish, or ashy ; belly and one to three outer tail feath-
ers white ; bill pale, without ruff. . JUNCO, 17.
ff. Yellow, more or less; base of bill with a small ruff; no
blue ; young brownish. . . CHRYSOMITRIS, 6.
fff. Chiefly or entirely blue (£), greenish or plain brown ($).
g. Length more than 6 ; wings with chestnut or whitish ;
bill stout. . • . . . . GDIRACA, 21.
gg. Length 5 to 6 ; gonys usually with a dusky stripe.

CYANOSPIZA, 22.

ee. Some where or every where decidedly spotted or streaked.
h. One or more outer tail feathers partly or wholly white.
i. Hind claw very long and nearly straight; colors black
and white or brown. . . PLECTROPHANES, 7.
ii. Hind claw not specially elongated.
j. Bend of wing with chestnut ; crown and breast
streaked ; tail much shorter than wings.

POOSCETES, 10.

80 BIRDS.

jj. No chestnut on wing ; breast unstreaked ; head with
black, white and chestnut ; tail nearly as long as

wings CIIONDESTES, 12.

lih. Tail feathers rigid, acute, almost scansorial ; small
streaked marsh-sparrows with yellow-edged wings.

AMMODROMUS, 11.

JMi. Tail feathers more or less rounded and soft, none of
them white.

k. Wings decidedly longer than tail.

I. With crimson or clear (not rusty) red ; a ruff at base

of bill.

m. Crown crimson ; throat dusky. . ^EGIOTHUS, 5.

mm. Crown, chin, throat and often whole plumage

washed with red. . . $ of CARPODACUS, 3.

II. With definite yellow some where.

n. Bases and edges of quills and tail feathers yellow;
bill acute. . . . CHRYSOMITRIS, 6.
nn. Rump sulphur yellow; bill with a small ruff.

^EGIOTHUS, 5.

nnn. Edge of wing and superciliary line or spot at

least, yellow or yellowish ; no ruff.
o. Breast yellow ; throat patch or streaks black ,

bill bluish EUSPIZA, 19.

oo. Breast buffy or streaky ; wings less than 2| ;
tail feathers narrow. . AMMODROMUS, 11.

ooo. Breast streaked ; wings more than 2| ; inner
secondaries nearly as long as primaries.

PASSERCULUS, 9.

Ul. With no definite crimson nor yellow any where.
p. Introduced birds, not streaked below ; throat black

in $ PASSER, 8.

pp. Native birds, much streaked below.

q. Inner claw reaching at least half way to tip of
middle claw ; tail, wings, etc., with much
chestnut red ; wings more than 3 ; no ruff.

PASSERELLA, 18.

FKINGILLID^E. — XXXIII. 81

qq. Olivaceous; 110 black nor chestnut ; wings more
thaii 3 , secondaries not lengthened ; a ruff at
base of bill. . . $ of CARPODACUS, 3,

gqq. Inner secondaries lengthened, about as long as
primaries; wings less than 3; no rufi'.

PASSERCULUS, 9.
Ick. Wings little if any longer than tail.

r. Tail feathers very slender, rather stiff and sharp
pointed. . . . AMMODROMUS, it

rr. Tail feathers not rigid and sharp pointed.
8. Sharply streaked below. . . MELOSPIZA, 15.
ss. Not streaked below (when adult.)
t. Crown chestnut in adult (streaky in young) ; no

yellow.

u. Tail rounded ; length about 5| ; wings and tail
less than 2i; shaiply streaked above.

MELOSPIZA, 15.

uu* Tail forked; length 5 to 61; wings and tail

2| to 3 ; tarsus $ to f . . SPTZELLA, 14.

tt. Crown not chestnut in adult, often partially so

in young.

v. Head striped ; length more than G ; tarsus

more than f . . . ZONOTRICHIA, 13.

00. Length less than 6; bend of wing yellowish.

, 16.

/. HESPERIPHONA, Bonaparte. EVENING GROSBEAKS.
1. H. vespertina, (Coop.) Bon. EVENING GROSBEAK.
Olivaceous; crown, wings, tail and tibia black; forehead
and crissum yellow; bill very large, yellowish; L. 8; W.
4i; T. 2-J-. Western, E. to Ohio, etc.

2. PINICQLA, Vieillot. PINE GROSBEAKS.
1. P. enuc/eafor, (L.) Vieill. PINE GROSBEAK. $
chiefly red; white wing bars; $ ashy gray with brownish
yellow on head and rump; L. 8-J; W. 4^-; T. 4. North-
ward, S. in winter; in pine woods, etc.

82 BIRDS,

3. CARPODACUS, Kaup. PURPLE PINCHES.
1. C. purpureus, (Gmel.) Gray. PURPLE FINCH. Every
where streaky; $ flushed with red, most intense on the
crown, fading below and behind; $ olive brown with
no red; bill stout; L. 6; W. 3J; T. 2£. U. S., a fine
songster.

4. LQXIA, Linnaeus. CROSSBILLS.

1. L leucoptera, (Grael.) WHITE WINGED CROSSBILL.
3 rose red; white wing bars; $ brownish olive, speckled
with dusky; rump yellow; L. 6J; W, 3J; T. BJ. North-
ern, S. in winter.

2. L curvirostra, L. RED CROSSBILL. 3 brick -red;
wings unmarked; $ brownish olive; L. 6; W. 3£; T. 2J.
Northern regions and pine woods; S. in winter.

5. MGIOTHUS, Oabanis. LINNETS

1. M. linarius, (L.) Cab. RED POLL LINNET. Crown
crimson in both sexes; throat, breast and rump also rosy
in 3; much streaked above; chin blackish; L. 5f ; W. 3;
T. 2£. Northern, S. in winter, in flocks.

2. £.flavirostris,(L.)vsiT.brewster/,Ridgwa,y. BREWS-
TER'S LINNET. No red on crown or breast; rump rosy in
6; yellow in $; L. 5£; W..3; T. 2J. Mass., lately dis-
covered.

6. CHRYSOMITRIS, Boie. GOLDFINCHES.

* Sexes alike; plumage thickly streaked everywhere; no black
on head ; bill very sharp. (Ohrysomitris.)

1. C. pinusr (Wils.) Bon. PINE LINNET. Plumage
streaky brown, suffused with yellow in the breeding
season; bases of quills and tail feathers yellow, much
as in the female Redstart; L. 4f; W. 2|; T. 2. N.
Am., rather northward, but liable to "turn up " any where.

.— XXXTTT. 83

** Sexes unlike ; scarcely or not streaked ; adult $ with black on
crown, wings and tail. (Astragalinus, Cab.)

2. C. tristiSf (L.) Bon. YELLOW BIRD. THISTLE BIRD.
AM. GOLDFINCH. $ rich yellow; rump whitish; wing
bars white; white spot on each tail feather; $ more
olivaceous; fall plumage pale yellow brown; young
variously ochraceous, with yellow or not; L. 5; W. 3;
T. 2. N. Am.; everywhere.

7. PLECTROPHANES, Meyer. LONGSPURS.
* Bill small, with a ruff; hind claw long but curved. (Plectra-
phanes.)

1. P. nivalis, (L.) Meyer. SNOW BUNTING. SNOW
FLAKE. In breeding season, pure white, with black on
back, wings and tail; bill and feet black; in U. S. usually
bill pale, and white of body clouded with clear, warm
brown; L. 7; W- 4J; T. 3. Northern, S. in winter to
Ohio R.; a beautiful bird.

** Bill larger, without ruff; hind claw nearly straight. (Centra-
pJianes, Kaup.)

2. P. lapponicus, (L.) Selby. LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
$ with head and throat mostly black; a chestnut collar;
back black and streaky, whitish below; outer tail feathers
with white; legs and feet black; $ and winter birds with
less black; L. 6£; W. 4; T. 2f. Northern, S. in winter
to N. Y. and Ills.

3. P. pictus, Sw. PAINTED LARK BUNTING. $ with
head and upper parts mostly black; collar and under
parts rich fawn color; legs pale; $ duller. Northern, S.
in the interior to Ills, and Kans.; rare.

8. PASSER, Brisson. HOUSE SPARROWS.

= Pyrgitd) Cuvier.
1. P. domesticus, L. ENGLISH SPARROW. $ chestnut

84 BIRDS.

brown above, thickly streaked; ashy below; throat, lores
and chin black; $ duller, without black; feet small; L.
6; W. 2f ; T. 2%. Introduced from Europe; abundant
in the large cities.

2. P. montanus, Auct. EUROPEAN TREE SPARROW.
" Distinguished by the chestnut crown, and the similarity
of both sexes and the young." Introduced with preced-
ing, and abundant in St. Louis (Dr. J. C. Merrill), and
perhaps other places.

9. PASSERCULUS, Bonaparte. SAVANNA SPARROWS.

1. P. savanna, (Wils.) Bon. SAVANNA SPARROW.
Sharply streaked; streaks on back blackish; superciliary
line and edge of wing yellowish; L. 5|-; W. 2f; T. 2.
N. Am., abundant on plains and shores.

2. P. princeps, Maynard. IPSWICH SPARROW. Streaks
on back sandy brown, not sharply denned; superciliary
line white in front; L. 6; W. 3i; T. 2%. Mass., lately
discovered.

10. PO(ECETES, Baird. GRASS SPARROWS.

1. P. gramineus, (Gm.) Baird. BAY -WINGED BUNT-
ING. GRASS SPARROW. GROUND BIRD. Thickly streaked
everywhere; slightly buffy below; L. 6; W. 3; T. 2|.
N. Am., abundant in fields, etc., and known at once by
the chestnut bend of wing and white outer tail feathers.

//. AMMODROMUS, Swainson. SHORE SPARROWS.

* Bill stout ; tail feathers acute but not rigid ; crown with a medium
light stripe ; inland species. (Coturniculus, Bon.)

1. A. passerinus, (Wils.) Baird. YELLOW -WINGED
SPARROW. Much streaked above; feathers edged with
bay; breast buffy, unstreaked; wings and tail short; edge

FETNGILLID^E. — XXXIII. 85

and bend of wing and line over eye yellow; L. 5; W.
2f; T. 2. U. S., in fields; notes sharp, grasshopper-like.

2. A. henslowi, (Aud.) Baird. HENSLOW'S SPARROW.
Smaller; more yellow above; breast, etc., with some
sharp black streaks; L. 5; W. 2±; T. 2f E. U. S.,
scarce; N. to Mass.

3. A. /econtei, (Aud.) Baird. LECONTE'S SPARROW.
Intermediate between the preceding and the next; bill
small, blue-black; back with rufous; tail feathers very
sharp and slender; breast unspotted, a broad buffy
superciliary stripe; L. 4f ; W. 2^; T. 2^-. Chicago, Ills.
(E. W. Nelson] to Texas and N. W.; very rare.

** Bill long and slender ; tail feathers sharp and rather stiff; sea-
shore Sparrows. (Ammodromus.)

4. A. mar Him us, (Wils.) Sw.~ SEA- SIDE FINCH. Olive
gray; back obscurely streaked; a yellow spot over eye;
L. G; W. 2£; T. 2. Salt marshes, Atlantic coast.

5. A. caudacutus, (Gm.) Sw. SHARP-TAILED FINCH.
Back sharply streaked; no yellow spot over eye, a
bright buff superciliary stripe; L. 5; W. 2^; T. If.
Atlantic coast.

Var. nelsoni, Allen. NELSON'S SHARP- TAILED FINCH.
Shores of Lake Michigan about Chicago ; common.
(E. W. Nelson.)

12. CHONDESTES, Swainson. LARK SPARROWS.

1. C. grammaca, (Say.) Bon. LARK FINCH. Streaked
above, ashy below; crown and ear coverts chestnut,
blackening on forehead, with whitish median and super-
ciliary stripes; black lines through and below eye; and
a conspicuous black line on each side of the white
throat; a black pectoral spot; middle tail feathers like
back, the rest blackish, white tipped; L. 6J; W. 3J; T.

86 BIRDS.

3. Western, E. to Ohio; abundant on prairies and river
bluffs; a fine songster.

13. ZONOTRICHIA, Swainson. WHITE - CROWNED
SPARROWS.

1. Z. leucophrys, (Forst.) Sw. WHITE - CROWNED
SPARROW. Streaked above, with but little chestnut;
crown with a broad white median band, a narrow black
one and a white one on each side of it; no yellow any
where; throat like breast; young with the crown chiefly
rich brown; L. 7; W. 3J; T. 3£. N. Am.; less common
than the next.

2. Z. albicollis, (Gm.) Bon. WHITE-THROATED SPAR-
ROW. PEABODY BIRD. Much chestnut streaking above ;
crown black, with white median and superciliary stripes;
spot over eye and edge of wing always yellow; ashy
below, whitening on throat; $ duller; L. 7; W. 3; T.
3-jp. E. N. Am.; an abundant and handsome sparrow.

3. Z. querula, (Nutt.) Gambel. BLACK -HOODED
SPARROW. Crown, face and throat jet black; no yellow;
$ with less black; L. 7£; W. 3£; T. 3J. Missouri
region, E. to Minn.

14. SPIZELLA, Bonaparte. CHIPPING SPARROWS.

1. S. moniicola, (Gm.) Baird. TREE SPARROW.
Streaked above ; crown chestnut ; bill black above,
yellow below; neck, line over eye and under parts ashy
gray; a dark pectoral blotch; white wing bars; L. 6£;
W. 3; T. 3. N. Am., chiefly northerly; U. S. in winter.

2. S. pusilla, (Wils.) Bon. FIELD SPARROW. General
color of preceding, but paler and duller; bill pale; wing
bands rather obscure; L. 5£; W. 2£; T. 2£. E. U. S.,
abundant. [S. agrestis, (Bart.) Coues.]

FRINGILLIDJ3.— XXXIH. 87

3. S. socialis, (Wils.) Bon. CHIPPY. HAIR BIRD.
Streaked above, with much dull bay; crown chestnut;
bill, forehead and streak through eye black; ashy below;
L. 5J; W. 2|; T. 2£. N. Am., every where. [#.
domestica, (Bart.) Coues.]

4. 5. pa///(fa, (Sw.) Bon. CLAY -COLORED SPARROW.
Still smaller; pale brownish yellow, streaked with black;
crown grayish, with median stripe. S. Ills, and W.

15. MELOSPIZA, Baird. SONG SPARROWS.

1. Nl. melodia, (Wils.) Baird. SONG SPARROW. Much
streaked above, and on breast and sides; crown with an
obscure pale median stripe; below white, pectoral streaks
often forming a blotch; L. 6J; W. 2|; T. 3. U. S.,
every where; a well-known songster. [M. fasciata,
(Gmel.) Scott.]

2. M. pa/ustr/'s, (Wils.) Baird. SWAMP SPARROW.
Crown chestnut; wings strongly tinged with chestnut;
breast and below with few streaks or none; tail shorter
than in the Song Sparrow; L. 5f ; W. 2£; T. 2£. E. U.
S., in low thickets.

3. M. lincolni, (Aud.) Baird. LINCOLN'S FINCH.
Every where thickly, narrowly and sharply streaked;
breast with a broad band of pale buffy or yellowish
brown; sides washed with the same; L. 5^-; W. 2-J-; T.
2-J. N. Am., rare eastward; a shy species quite unlike
the others.

IB. PEUC/EA, Audubon. SUMMER SPARROWS.

1. P. CBStivalis, (Licht.) Cab. BACHMAN'S FINCH.
Much streaked above, ashy below; yellow on bend of
wing but none on head; L. 6; W. £J; T. 2%. Southern,
N. to Illinois.

88 BIRDS.

17. JUNCO, Wagler. SNOW BIRDS.
1. J. hyemalis, (L.) Scl. SNOW BIRD. ? more gray-
ish; L. 6J; W. 3; T. 3. E. N. Am., every where abund-
ant, mostly seen in winter.

18. PASSERELLA, Swainson. Fox SPARROWS.
1. P. illaca, (Merrem.) Sw. Fox SPARROW. Ashy
above, overlaid and much streamed with rusty red, which
becomes bright bay on rump, tail and wings; white
below with large arrow-shaped spots and streaks, numer-
ous on breast; feet stout, with long claws; L. 7; W. 3£;
T. 3. E. N. Am.; migrating early; one of the hand-
somest streaked sparrows.

19. EUSPIZA, Bonaparte. BLACK-THROATED BUNTINGS.

1. E. americana, (Grn.) Bon. BLACK -THROATED
BUNTING. Grayish and streaked above; wing coverts
chestnut; line over eye, maxillary stripe, edge of wing,
breast and part of belly yellow; throat patch black;
otherwise white below; ? with little chestnut, and the
black reduced to a few streaks; L. 6f ; W. 3J; T. 2f.
Meadows, etc., Conn, to Kansas, chiefly westward; a
handsome bird with sleek plumage, and a peculiar, but
scarcely musical song.

2. E. townsendi, (Aud.) Bon. TOWNSEND'S BUNTING.
Upper parts, head, neck, etc., slaty blue; no chestnut,
and little yellow or black. Smaller, a doubtful species.
Only one specimen known from E. Penn.

20. GONIAPHEA, Bowdich. BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS.

= Hedymeles, Cabanis.

1. G. ludoviciana, (L.) Bowdich. ROSE - BREASTED
GROSBEAK. $ with head, neck and upper parts mostly
black, with white on rump, wings and tail; belly white;

FRINGILLID.E. — XXXIII. 89

breast and under wing coverts of an exquisite rose-red;
bill very stout, pale; $ olive brown, much streaked, with
the under wing coverts saffron yellow; head with whitish
bands; L. 8£; W. 4; T. 3J. E. U. S., abundant; perhaps
our handsomest bird, and one of our most brilliant
songsters.

21. GUIRAGA, Swainson. BLUE GROSBEAKS.
1. G. ccerulea, (L.) Sw. BLUE GROSBEAK. $ rich
blue; feathers about bill, wings and tail, black; wing
bars chestnut ; ? yellowish brown, with whitish wing
bars; L. 7; W. 3£; T. 2f. Southern, N. to N. Y. and
Wis.; a fine songster.

22. CYANOSPIZA, Baird. INDIGO BIRDS.

1. C. cyanea, (L.) Baird. INDIGO BIRD. $ Indigo
blue, clear on head, greenish behind ; $ plain warm
brown, obscurely streaky, known from other small spar-
rows by a dusky line along the gonys; L. 5|; W. 3; T.
2f. E. U. S., abundant in summer; a tireless songster.

2. C. ciris, (L.) Baird. NONPAREIL. PAINTED BUNT-
ING. $ head and neck blue; under parts, etc., vermillion;
shoulders, etc., green; $ green, yellowish below; L. 5£.
Southern, N. to S. Ills. (Nelson.)

23. CARDINALIS, Bonaparte. CARDINAL GROSBEAKS.

1. C. virginianusr (Brisson) Bon. CARDINAL GROSBEAK.
RED BIRD. Clear red, ashy on back; chin and forehead
black; crest conspicuous; $ ashy brown, more or less
washed with red; L. 8£; W. 4; T. 4£. E. U. S., south-
erly, N. to Mass, and N. Wis.; abundant. A brilliant
songster, much sought as a cage bird.

24. PIPILO, Vieillot. TOWHEE BUNTINGS.
1. P. erythrophthalmus, (L.) Vieill. CHEWINK. MARSH

90 BIKDS.

ROBIN. Black, belly white; sides chestnut; outer tail
feathers, primaries, and inner secondaries with white; $
clear brown instead of black; L. 83- ; W. 3£; T. 4. E.
U. S., abundant every where.

• FAMILY XXXIV. — ICTERID^E.

(The Orioles.)

Primaries 9; bill with the commissure angulated, as in
FringHlidcB) but usually lengthened, rarely shorter than
head, straight or gently curved, without notch or rictal
bristles; culmen usually extending up on the forehead,
dividing the frontal feathers. Legs stout, tarsus strictly
oscine. Plumage usually brilliant or lustrous, predom-
inant color generally black, often with red or yellow;
females usually different, smaller in size, brown or streaky
in the lustrous species, and yellowish or dusky in the
brightly colored ones. Notes usually sharp, often 'richly
melodious, in other cases harsh.

Genera about twenty, species one hundred, all Ameri-
can, some of the short-billed forms scarcely distinct from
FrinyiUidw; others are as closely related to Sturnidce
(Old World Starlings) and Corvidce. There are three
sub-families, of which Agelceinae includes most of our
species. Icterince includes Icterus, while Scolecophagus
and Quiscahis belong to Quiscalince.

I. Tail feathers rigid, acute; middle toe and claw longer than

tarsus; black and whitish ($) or brownish, streaked (?); bill
short, finch-like ., DOLTCHONYX, 1.

II. Feathers of crown bristle-tipped ; tail short, its feathers acute ;

yellow below, a black breast patch ; bill long. STURNELLA, 5.

III. Lateral claws elongated; black or brown, yellow on head and

neck ; length more than 8. . . XANTHOCEPHALUS, 4.

IV. With none of the above combinations of characters,
* Length at least more than 7.

ICTEKID^E. — XXXIV. 91

f Bill horn-blue, very acute ; black or olivaceous, with orange

or yellow ICTERUS, 6.

ff Bill blackish ; plumage every where streaked j usually a
rusty tinge on throat and bend of wing.

? of AGEL^EUS, 3.
fff Bill jet black; plumage in $ black, in ? duller, streaky, or

plain brown.
£ Glossy black ; bend of wing red, bordered by buffy and

whitish $ of AGEL^EUS, 3.

\\ Black ; head and neck rich lustrous brown.

$ of MOLOTHRUS, 2.

$$ Iridescent black throughout ; wings scarcely longer
than tail ; length more than 10. . QUISCALUS, 8.
\\\\ Black, often obscured by brownish or rusty; no red or
yellow ; wings longer than tail ; length 9 to 10.

SCOLECOPHAGUS, 7.

** Length less than 7.
a. Dusky gray brown; bill blackish, shortened, finch-like.

$ of MOLOTHRUS, 2.

aa. Black with chestnut or orange (£), or else olive and yellow-
ish (?) ; bill acute, bluish or brown. . . ICTERUS, 6.

/. DOLICHONYX, Swainson. BOBOLINKS.

1. D. oryzivorus, (L.) Sw. BOBOLINK. REED BIRD.
RICE BIRD. <$ in Spring black, neck buffy, shoulders and
rump ashy white, back streaky; $ and fall $ yellowish
brown, streaked above, — dull yellow birds, resembling
sparrows but known by the acute tail feathers; L. 7£;
W. 4; T. 3. E. U. S., abundant in meadows northward,
where, in the breeding season, it is our merriest and most
delightful songster. Retiring southward in the fall, it
fattens in the rice swamps and becomes a "game bird."

2. MOLOTHRUS, Swainson. Cow BIRDS.

1. M. ater, (Bodd.) Gray. Cow BIRD. $ iridescent
black, head and neck glossy brown; <j> much smaller,

92 BIEDS.

dusky brown; L. ($) 8; W. 4; T. 3. U. S., abundant;
noted for its parasitic habits. \M. pecoris (Gmel.), Sw.]

3. AGEL/EUS, Vieillot. RED-WING BLACK BIRDS.

1. A. phceniceus, (L.) V. RED -WINGED STARLING.
SWAMP BLACK BIRD. <$ glossy (not iridescent) black,
lesser wing covers scarlet, with buffy and paler edgings;
? dusky, streaked; L. 9; W. 5; T. 4. U. S., every
where abundant.

4. XANTHOCEPHALUS, Bonaparte. YELLOW - HEADED

BLACK BIRDS.

1. X. icterocepha/us, (Bon.) Baird. YELLOW - HEADED
BLACK BIRD. $ black with white wing patch; head and
neck rich yellow; $ smaller, browner, with less yellow;
L. 10; W. 54; T. 44. Southwestern, E. to L. Michigan.

5. STURNELLA, Vieillot. MEADOW LARKS.

1. S. magna, (L.) Sw. MEADOW LARK. Brownish
and much streaked above; chiefly yellow below, a black
crescent on breast. L. 10; W. 5; T. 3£. U. S.; very
abundant. (S. neylecta. And., is the Western variety,
Illinois S. and W., with " a much sweeter song," and
some slight differences of plumage.)

6. ICTERUS, Brisson. AMERICAN ORIOLES.

1. /. baltimore, (L.) Daudin. BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
GOLDEN ROBIN. FIRE BIRD. Black; bend of wing,
rump, most tail feathers, and under parts from the breast
orange of varying intensity; $ duller, olivaceous and
yellow; L. 7f ; W. 3|; T. 3. E. U. S., abundant; noted
for its elaborate hanging nest.

2. /. spur/us, (L.) Bon. ORCHARD ORIOLE. $ black;
rump, bend of wing and lower parts deep chestnut; $

CORVID^E. — XXXV. 93

yellowish olive, quite small; young yellow, with various
black or chestnut traces; L. 7; W. 3£; T. 3. E. U. S.,
rather southerly.

7. SCOLECOPHAGUS, Swainson. RUSTY BLACK BIRDS.

1. S. ferruginous, (Gm.) Sw. RUSTY GRACKLE. RUSTY
BLACK BIRD. $ glossy black and rusty in autumn; ?
dusky, lustreless; bill slender; L. 9J; W. 4f ; T. 4.
E. U. S.

2. S. cyanocephalus, (Wagl.) Cab. BREWER'S BLACK
BIRD. $ black with green lustre, head glossed with
purple; ? dusky; L. 10; W. 5£; T. 4J-. W., E. to Ills,
and Wis.

8. QU/SCALUSfViei\\ot. CROW BLACK BIRDS.

1. Q. pur pure us, (Bartr.) Licht. CROW BLACK BIRD.
PURPLE GRACKLE. Iridescent black, lustre on head
purplish, on body bronzy; L. 13; W. 5£; T. 5£. E. U.
S., abundant.

FAMILY XXXV.— CORVID^E.

(The Crows and Jays.)

Primaries 10; first about half length of second; nostrils
usually concealed by tufts of bristly feathers, which are
branched to their tips. Bill long and strong, usually
notched, commissure not angulated. Tarsus oscine, its
sides undivided and separated from the scutella in front
bv a groove which is either naked or filled in with small
scales. Voice usually harsh and unmusical.

Birds of large size, the largest of the Oscines, found
almost every where. Genera about forty; species one
hundred and seventy -five. Our two sub - families,
Corvince, the Crows, and Garrulmce the Jays, are usually
readily distinguishable.

94 BIRDS.

* Tail much shorter than the long, pointed wings. (Corvince.)

\ Plumage glossy black CORVUS, 1.

** Tail longer than the short, rounded wings. (Garrulinm.)
\ Conspicuously crested ; chiefly blue ; quills black barred.

CYANUHUS, 3.
\\ Iridescent black and white; tail much longer than wings.

PICA, 2.
\\\ Chiefly gray, no blue; tail scarcely longer than wings.

PERISOHEUS, 4.
/. CORVUS, Linrueus. RAVENS.

1. C. corax, L. RAVEN. Feathers of throat stiffened,
elongated, narrow and lanceolate, their outlines very
distinct; L. 25; W. 17; T. 10. N. Am., chiefly north
and westward; rare E. of the Mississippi. Also European.
(C. carmvorus, Bartr.)

2. C. amer/canus, Aud. CHOW. Feathers of throat
short, broad, obtuse, with their webs blended; gloss of
plumage purplish violet; head and neck scarcely lus-
trous; L. 20; W. 13; T. 8. E. N. Am., chiefly eastward;
abundant. (C. frugivorus, Bartr.)

3. C. ossifragus, Wilson. FISH CROW. Gloss of
plumage green and violet, evident on head and neck;
L. 16; W. 11; T. 7. New England to Florida, chiefly
southern, and found only along the coast. (C. maritimus,
Bartr.)

2. PICA, Cuvier. MAGPIES.

1. P. me/ano/euca (Vieill.) var. hudsonica, (Sab.) Coues.
MAGPIE. Lustrous black; belly, shoulders, and wing-
edgings white; L. 19; "W. 8£; T. 13, much graduated.
Western, E. to L. Michigan.

3. CYANURUS, Swainson. BLUE JAYS.
1. C. or/status, (L.) Sw. BLUE JAY. Blue; collar
and frontlet black; grayish below; wings and tail clear

TYRANNTD^E. — XXXVI. 95

blue-barred ; outer tail feathers and secondaries tipped
with white; L. 12; W. 5£; T. 5f. N. E. Am., abundant.

4. PERSSOREUS, Bonaparte. GRAY JAYS.

1. P. canadensis, (L.) Bon. CANADA JAY. WHISKEY
JACK. Ashy gray with blackish and whitish markings;
L. lOf ; W. 5f ; T. 6. Northern, S. to New England in
Winter.

FAMILY XXXVI.—

(The Flycatchers.)

Primaries 10; first more than f- length of second, and
one or more of them often attenuate ; bill broad, triangu-
lar, depressed, abruptly hooked and notched at tip, with
long rictal bristles; commissure nearly straight; nostrils
small, usually partly concealed. Tarsus " clamatorial,"
the scutella extending around its back. Feet small, for
perching. Mouth capacious; notes simple, often pleas-
ant; changes of plumage slight; ours mostly olivaceous.

A large family of eighty genera, and more than three
hundred species; all American and mostly tropical. All
are insectivorous, most of them pre-eminently so; they
are, therefore, in our latitude, migratory.

* First primaries evidently attenuate ; crown with concealed bright

red or yellow crest (in adult).
f Tail widely forked, about twice as long as wings.

MILVULUS, 1.

ft Tail nearly even, shorter than wings. . . TYRANNUS, 2.
** First primaries not obviously attenuate ; crown plain, some-

times crested.

\ Wings edged with chestnut, not much longer than tail ; length
8 or more ....... MYIARCHUS, 3.

Jt "Wings not chestnut-edged, not much longer than tail ; tarsus
longer than middle toe and claw; bill black; length 6$-
to 7| ......... SAYORNIS, 4.

96 BIBDS.

\\\ Wings loDger than tail; tarsus shorter than middle toe and
claw; bill not all black; length 6 or more. CONTOPUS, 5.

\\\\ Wings not much longer than tail ; middle toe and claw not
longer than tarsus ; bill mostly pale below ; length oi or
less EMPIDONAX, 6.

/. MILVULUS, Swainson. FORK -TAILED FLYCATCHERS.

1. Jiff, forficatus, (Gm.) Sw. SCISSOR - TAIL. Ashy,
tail, shoulders, sides, etc., with much red; L. 13; W. 5;
T. 8. S. W., N. to Kansas, straying to New Jersey.

2. M. tyrannus, (L.) Bon. FORK - TAILED FLYCATCHER.
Larger, no red, tail still more elongate. Tropical, stray-
ing to N. J. arid La.

2. TYRANNUS, Cuvier. KING BIRDS.

1. T, carolinensiSj (L.) Baird. KING BIRD. BEE
MARTIN. Blackish ash, white below ; tail black, white -
tipped; L. 8J; W. 4f ; T. 3£. U. S., chiefly eastward;
abundant. " Destroys a thousand noxious insects for
every bee it eats! " (Coues)

2. T. verticalis, Say. ARKANSAS FLYCATCHER. Belly
yellow; tail white-edged. Western, straying to N. J.

3. MYIARCHUS, Cabanis. CRESTED FLYCATCHERS.

1. Kl. crinitus, (L.) Cab. GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER.
Scarcely crested; olivaceous., yellow below, with bright
chestnut on wings and tail; L. 8f; W. 4; T. 4. E, U.
S.. chiefly 'southerly, N. to N. Wis. A handsome bird,
"noted for the habitual use of cast-off snake skins in
the structure of its nest."

4. SAYORNIS, Bonaparte. PEWEES.

1. S. fuscusf (Gm.) Baird. PEWEE. PIKEBE. PEWIT.
Olive brown, head and tail darker; yellow below, more

TYRAKNTD.E. — XXXVI. 97

or less; L. 7; W. 3J; T. 3J. E.U. S., abundant; known
by its black bill.

5. CONTOPUS, Cabanis. WOOD PEWEES.

1. C. borealis, (Sw.) Baird. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER.
Rictal bristles short, one-fourth length of bill; tuft of
white cottony feathers on sides very conspicuous; middle
line of belly distinctly and abruptly white; otherwise
olive brown, paler or yellowish below; L. 7-J; W. 4^-;
T. 3. Northern, S. to N. Y.

2. C. v/'rens, (L.) Cab. WOOD PEWEE. Rictal bristles
half length of bill; cottony tuft inconspicuous; wing
bands whitish or rusty; olive brown above; pale or
yellowish below; lower mandible usually pale; L. 6£;
W. 3i; T. 3. U. S., very abundant.

3. C. richardsoni, (Sw.) Bd. WESTERN WOOD PEWEE.
Darker; bill dusky below. N.W., E. toWis.; nearly
like the preceding, but the notes and nesting different.

6. EMPIDONAX, Cabanis. LEAST FLYCATCHERS.

1. E. acadicus, (Gm.) Baird. SMALL GREEN-CRESTED
FLYCATCHER. Clear olive green, wing bands buffy;
whitish becoming yellowish below; yellowish ring about
eyes; bill pale below; primaries nearly an inch longer
than secondaries; 2d, 3d and 4th primaries nearly equal,
and much longer than 1st and 5th; 1st much longer than
6th; L. 6; W. 3; T. 2f ; Ts. f ; Tel. j. E. U. S., frequent.

2. E. traillii, (Aud.) Baird. TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER.
Olive brown, duller than preceding; bill pale below;
5th primary about as long as 4th, 1st not much longer
than 6th; middle toe f length of tarsus; longest primary
f inch longer than secondaries; L. 5f; W. 2f ; T. 2J-;
Ts. f ; Tel. f . U. S.

98 BIRDS.

3. E. minimus, Baird. LEAST FLYCATCHER. Olive
gray; bill blackish below; wings like preceding, but
longest primary but \ inch longer than secondaries;
middle toe half as long as tarsus; bill less than -J inch;
L. 5; W. 2J; T. 2£. E. N. Am., abundant.

4. E. flaviventris, Baird. YELLOW-BELLIED FLY-
CATCHER. Clear olive green; yellow below, becoming
bright yellow (not merely yellowish as in the others) on
the belly; first primary about equal to sixth; feet as in
acadicus; bill yellow below; L. 5£; W. 2f; T. 2J.
E. U. S.

ORDER H. -PIC ABLE.

(Picarian Birds.')

Hind toe small, sometimes wanting, occasionally ele-
vated; its claw shorter than that of middle toe (with rare
exceptions); 3d and 4th toes often with less than the
normal number of joints; 2d and 4th toes sometimes
versatile. Wing coverts larger and in more numerous
series than in the Passeres. Primaries 10, first rarely
short; tail feathers 10 (8 to 12). Musical apparatus
imperfect. Sternum non-passerine. Tarsus never oscine.
Nature altricial. A highly diversified group, the mem-
bers of which have little in common except their want
of resemblance to other birds.

FAMILY XXXVII.— CAPRIMULGID^.

(The Goatsuckers.)

Bill very short, " fissirostral," the gape exceedingly
deep and wide, reaching to below the eyes, and usually
with prominent rictal bristles. Wings long and pointed;
secondaries lengthened. Plumage long and loose, owl-
like. Tail feathers 10. Feet very small; tarsus short,

CYPSELID.E. — XXXVIII. 99

partly feathered; toes slightly webbed at base, the hind
toe somewhat elevated. Genera fourteen; species one
hundred or more, widely diffused; chiefly insectivorous.
* Tail rounded ; rictal bristles very long. . ANTROSTOMUS, 1.
** Tail forked ; rictal bristles inconspicuous. . CHORDEILES, 2.

/. ANTROSTOMUS, Gould. WHIPPOORWILLS.

1. A. vociferus, (Wils.) Bon. WHIPPOORWILL. NIGHT
JAR. Grayish, much variegated; pectoral bar and ends
of outer tail feathers white (<$) or tawny ($); rictal
bristles unbranched; L. 10; W. 6; T. 5. E. U. S.,
abundant, nocturnal; noted for its "solemn and pro-
phetic" cry.

2. A. carolinensis, (Gm.) Gould. CHUCKWILL'S WIDOW.
More reddish; rictal bristles with lateral filaments; L.
12; W. 9; T. 6£. Southern, N. to Ills. (Nelson.)

2. CHORDEILES, Swainson. NIGHT HAWKS.

1. C. virginianus, (Gm.) Bon. NIGHT HAWK. BULL
BAT. Blackish, variegated; a large wing spot, bar
across tail, and V-shaped blotch on throat — white in £,
tawny or obscure in ?; L. 9£; W. 8; T. 5. U.S.;
abundant. \C.popetue, (Vieill.) Bd.]

FAMILY XXXVIIL— CYPSELIDJE.

(The Swifts.)

Bill fissirostral, as in Caprimulgidce and Hirundinidce.
Wings very long, thin and pointed; secondaries very
short. Feet small, weak; hind toe often elevated or
otherwise turned; toes completely cleft. No rictal
bristles. Tail feathers 10; plumage compact. In most
species the salivary glands are highly developed, and
their secretion is used as a glue in the construction of

100 BIRDS.

the nest; species of Collocalia thus form the edible
bird's nest. Small birds of the warmer parts of the
world, bearing a superficial resemblance to Swallows, but
structurally very different, being closely related to the
Humming Birds. Genera six or eight; species about
fifty.

* Tarsus bare, longer than middle toe; tail feathers with the

shafts spmous, projecting beyond the plumage.

CH^ETUKA, 1.

/. CH/ETURA, Stephens. CHIMNEY SWALLOWS.

1. C. pelagica, (L.) Baird. CHIMNEY SWIFT. Sooty
brown; throat paler; L. 5±; W. 5; T. 2. E. U. S.,
abundant.

FAMILY XXXIX. — TROCHILHLE.

(The Humming Birds.)

Bill subulate, usually longer than the head, straight or
curved; tongue capable of great protrusion. Wings
long and pointed, the secondaries short, only six in
number; tail of ten feathers. Feet very small, with
sharp claws. Smallest of all birds and among the most
brilliantly colored. Genera seventy -five; species three
hundred or more, thus forming one of the largest families
in Ornithology. All are American, and most of them
tropical, but our common species ranges far into British
America.

* First primary not attenuate, bowed or curved inwards.

TROCHILUS, 1.

/. TROCHILUS, Linnaeus. RUBY - THEOATED HUMMING

BIRDS.

1. T. colubris, L. RUBY - THROATED HUMMING BIRD.
$ metallic green above; a ruby -red gorget; tail deeply
forked, uniform purplish; $ without red, the tail vari-

CUCULID^E. — XLI. 101

egated; L. 3£; W. If; T. li; B. f. E. N. Am.;
abundant in summer.

FAMILY XL. — ALCEDINID^E.

(The Kingfishers.)

Head large; bill long, straight and strong, usually
longer than head; gape deep, tomia not serrate. Wings
long; tail short. Legs quite small; feet syndactyle —
the outer and middle toes united to their middle, a con-
tinuous sole beneath; tibia naked below. Tail feathers
twelve. Species about one hundred, chiefly of the tropical
parts of the Old World and Australia. Many of them
feed upon fishes, and nearly ail are remarkable for their
brilliant coloration.

* Head crested CEBYLE, 1.

/. CERYLE, Boie. KINGFISHERS.

> Ispida, Swainson.

1. C. alcyon, (L.) Boie. BELTED KINGFISHER. Ashy
blue above, a bluish band across breast; white below;
$ with sides and band across belly chestnut; tail barred
with white; L. 13; W. 6; T. 3£; B. 2, or more. N.
Am.; everywhere.

FAMILY XLI.— CUCULID^E.

(The Cuckoos)

Bill compressed, lengthened, decurved; usually with-
out rictal bristles or nasal tufts. Tail long and soft, of
eight to twelve feathers. Tongue not extensible. Feet
zygodactyle, by reversion of fourth toe. Species about
two hundred, in various parts of the world.

* Plumage lustrous olive gray or drab; arboreal. COCCYGUS, 1.

'1Q2 " ; ; :,',•••, BIRDS.

/. COGCYGUStVieillot. AMERICAN CUCKOOS.

1. C. americanuSf (L.) Bon. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.
Bill yellow below ; wings with much cinnamon red ;
middle tail feathers like the back; outer ones black with
broad white tips; L. 12; W. 5£; T. 6. U. S.

2. C. erythrophthalmus, (Wils.) Baird. BLACK-BILLED
CUCKOO. Bill chiefly black ; wings with little or no
reddish; tail feathers all brownish, obscurely whitish at
tips; L. Hi; W. 5; T. 6±. E. U. S.

FAMILY XLIL — PICID^E.

(The Woodpeckers.)

Bill stout, usually straight, with the tip truncate or
acute, fitted for hammering or boring into wood. Tongue
long, flattish, barbed, capable of great protrusion, adapted
for sec <\g insects (except in 8phyrapicus)\ hyoid appa-
ratus peculiar, its horns generally quite long, curving
around the skull behind. Feet zygodactyle, outer toe
permanently reversed; hind toe present (except in Pico-
ides) ; claws com-n^essed, sharp and strong. Tail feathers
12, rigid and aci 'mate, outer pair short, concealed; tail
never forked; nasal tufts usually present.

Chiefly arboreal; all (except Sphyrapicus, which is
truly a "Sap-Sucker,") are pre-eminently insectivorous
and hence they are of the greatest service to the farmer.
Voice loud and often harsh. Colors generally bright,
the male at least having almost always red on the head;
sexes usually slightly different. Species two hundred
and fifty, abundant almost every where.
* Conspicuously crested ; length 18 or more.

- Bill and nasal feathers dark. . HYLOTOMUS, 1.

- Bill and nasal feathers pale. . CAMPEPHILUS, 2.
** Not crested ; toes 3 only, hallux wanting. . PICOLDES, 4.
*** Not crested ; toes 4, length less than 14,

PICIDJS. — xm. 103

f Tongue obtuse, brushy ; ridges on upper mandible running

into the toinia ; belly with some yellow. SPHYBAPICUS, 5.

ff Tongue acute, barbed; ridges on sides of upper mandible

reaching the tip; no yellow; quills (in ours) with round

white spots Picus, 3.

f f f Tongue acute, barbed ; ridges on sides of upper mandible

wanting or indistinct.
J Back barred.

a. Belly with round black spots ; feathers of wings and tail

yellow or orange beneath. . . COLAPTES, 8.

aa. Belly unspotted, tinged with red or yellow ; no yellow

on quills CENTUHUS, 6.

\\ Back not barred; body lustrous blue-black; rump,. second-
aries, and under parts white ; head and neck red in adults,
grayish in young. . . . MELAJSERPES, 7.

/. HYLOTOMUS, Baird. BLACK WOODCOCKS.

1. H. p/Jeafus, (L.) Baird. PILEATED WOODPECKER.
LOGCOCK. Black; white streak down neck; crest and
cheek patch scarlet in <$; cheeks and front of crest black
in ?, L. 18; W. 9J; T. 7. N. Am.; in heavy timber.

2. CAMPEPHIL US, Gray. IVORY - BILLED WOODPECKERS.

1. C. principalis, (L.) Gray. GREAT IVORY -BILLED
WOODPECKER. Black with white markings; crest scarlet
in 3, black in $; L. 21; W. 11; T. 8. Southern, N. to
S. Ills.

3. PIC US f Linnaeus. SPOTTED WOODPECKERS.

1. P. borealis, Vieill. RED - COCKADED WOODPECKER.
Black and white, spotted and crosswise banded, but not
streaked; a red line on each side of head in <$; L. 8J;
W. 4-J-; T. 3^. Southern States in swamps, N. to Penn.

2. P. villosus, L. HAIRY WOODPECKER. BIG SAP-
SUCKER. Spotted and lengthwise streaked, but not

104 BIKDS.

banded; back black with a long white stripe; outer tail
feathers wholly white; L. 9; W. 5; T. 3^; a scarlet
nuchal band in $ only. U. S.; everywhere.

3. P. pubescens, L. DOWNY WOODPECKER. LITTLE
SAP- SUCKER. Much smaller; outer tail feathers black
and white, barred, otherwise precisely like the other;
L. 6£; W. 3|; T. 2|. U. S:; every where.

4. PICO IDES, Lacepede. THREE - TOED WOODPECKERS.

1. P. arcticus, (Sw.) Gray. BLACK - BACKED WOOD -
PECKER. Black and white; crown yellow in <$, plain in
?; back uniform black; L. 9; W. 5; T. 3f. Northern,

5. to U. S. in winter.

2. P. americanus, Brehm. BANDED THREE - TOED
WOODPECKER. Back with a white lengthwise stripe;
otherwise as above; L. 8; W. 4J; T. %. Arctic, S. in
winter to New England.

5. SPHYRAPICUS, Baird. SAP-SUCKING WOODPECKERS.
1. S. varius, (L.) Baird. YELLOW-BELLIED WOOD-
PECKER. Black and white above ; black on breast ;
chiefly yellowish below; white wing patch; crown red in
adult, chin scarlet in $', L. 8J; W. 4f ; T. 3^. U. S.,
abundant.

6. CENTURUSf Swainson. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS.
1. C. carol in us, (L.) Bon. RED -BELLIED WOOD-
PECKER. Grayish, much barred above with black and
white; crown and nape crimson in $, crown ashy in $,
belly reddish-tinged; L. 9f ; W. 5; T. 3J. E. U. S.,
rather southerly; N. to N. Wis.

7. MELANERPES, Swainson. RED -HEADED WOOD-

PECKERS.

1. M. erythrocephalus, (L.) Sw. RED-HEADED WOOD-

. — XLIII. 105

PECKER. L. 9; W. 5£; T. 3£. U. S., E. of the Rocky
Mts.; abundant.

8. COLAPTES, Swainson. FLICKERS.

1. C. auratus, (L.) Sw. GOLDEN - WINGED WOOD-
PECKER. HIGH - HOLER. YARUP. Head ashy, with red
nuchal crescent; back olivaceous, barred with black; rump
white; below pinkish brown shading into yellowish, a
black crescent on breast and numerous round black spots;
shafts and under surfaces of quills golden yellow; $ with
a black maxillary patch; L. 12£; W. 6; T. 4f E. U. S.,
abundant.

Var. mexicanus, (Sw.) Snow. RED- SHAFTED FLICKER.
Quills with orange red instead of golden; maxillary
patches in $ red instead of black; no nuchal crescent;
no yellowish on belly. Western, E. to Kas., etc. Runs
into the preceding, through C. hybridus, Baird.

OEDER L-PSITTAOI.

(The Parrots.)

Bill enormously thick, cered at base and strongly
hooked. Feet zygodactyle by reversion of outer toe,
tarsus reticulate. Tongue short, fleshy; upper jaw un-
usually movable. Altricial. Plumage often brilliant. In
all warm regions; species three hundred and fifty-four,
nearly half of which are American.

FAMILY XLIIL— ARID^E.

(The Macaws.)

Parrots with the head not crested, and the tail long,
wedge-shaped or graduated. (Itaird.)
* Culmen rounded ; face entirely feathered except a curve about
the eye ; tail shorter than wings. . . CONUKUS, 1.

106 BIKDS.

/. CONURUS, Kuhl. PARROQUETS.
1. C. carolinensis, (L.) Kuhl. CAROLINA PARROQTJET.
Green; head and neck yellow; face red; wings with blue
and yellow; bill white; L. 13; W. 7£; T. 6. Southwest-
ern, formerly N. to the Great Lakes; now nearly exter-
minated.

OEDER J.-EAPTORES.

(The Birds of Prey.)

Bill powerful, cered at base, strongly hooked at the
end. Feet never zygodactyle ; fourth toe sometimes
versatile; claws long and sharp; hind toe well developed,
rarely elevated ; tibia, and often tarsus, feathered.
Primaries 10; tail feathers 12 (with rare exceptions).
Altricial, but young downy at birth. Carnivorous birds,
generally of large size and great strength, found in every
part of the world.

FAMILY XLIV. — STRIGID^E.

(The Owls.)

Head very large, shortened lengthwise and greatly
expanded laterally; the eyes directed forwards and
partly surrounded by a disk of radiating feathers of
peculiar texture; loral feathers antrorse, long and dense;
feathers on the sides of forehead often elongated into
ear - like tufts. Plumage very soft and lax, rendering the
flight almost noiseless; its colors blended and mottled so
as to render minute description difficult. External ear
very large, often provided with a movable flap. Outer
toe versatile; claws very sharp, long and strong. Eggs
nearly t spherical, pure white. Chiefly nocturnal. Sexes
colored alike, $ usually the larger. Owls are found in
every part of the globe, and most of the species have a

STRIGID^E. — XLIV. 107

wide range. Their habits are so well known that I need
not dwell upon them here. Genera about forty; species
one hundred and fifty.

* Tarsus naked or scant - feathered, facial disk perfect; no ear-
tufts; middle claw pectinate; iris black. . STHIX, 1.
** Tarsus fully feathered,
f Head with evident " ear-tufts ;" iris yellow.
\ Tail about f of wing; bill blackish; length more than 18.

BUBO, 6.

# Tail about half length of wing; length less than 18.
a. Bill pale ; length less than 12. ... SCOPS, 5.
aa. Bill dark ; length more than 12. . . . OTUS, 2.
ft Head without evident " ear-tufts."
b. Tail about i length of wing ; iris yellow ; length less than

12 • NYCTALE, 4.

Kb. Tail about £ of wing; length 18 or more.
c. Pure white, with dark markings ; toes concealed by long
feathers ; facial disk incomplete ; bill black ; iris yellow.

NYCTEA, 7.
cc. Grayish, much barred ; facial disk complete ; bill yellow ;

iris black or yellow SYRNIUM, 3.

bbb. Tail about f of wing ; bill yellow ; iris yellow ; length

about 16 SURNIA, 8.

*** Tarsus long, sparsely bristly ; facial disk imperfect ; middle
claw simple SPEOTYTO, 9.

/. STRIX, Linnaeus. BARN OWLS.

1. 5. flammea, (L.) var. pratinco/a, (Bon.) Ridg. BARN
OWL. Face elongated; reddish or tawny, much vari-
egated; L. 17; W. 13; T. 5|. U. S., rather southerly.

2. OTUS, Cuvier. EARED OWLS.

1. 0. vulgaris, (L.) var. wilsonianus, (Less.) Allen.
LONG -EARED OWL. Ear tufts well developed, of 8 to

108 BIRDS.

12 feathers; outer primary only emarginate; much
variegated; L. 15; W. 12; T. 6. U. S.

2. 0. brachyotus, (Gm.) Steph. SHORT - EARED OWL.
Ear tufts small and inconspicuous; two outer primaries
emarginate; L. 15; W. 12; T. 6. U. S. and Europe.
(Brachyotus palustris, Auct.)

3. SYRNIUM, Savigny. BARRED OWLS.
* Iris black ; 5 outer primaries emarginate. (Syrnium.)

1. S. nebulosum, (Forst.) Boie. BARRED OWL. Toes
not concealed; olive brown, barred with white above;
breast barred; belly streaked; L. 18; W. 14; T. 9. E.
N. Am., common.

** Iris yellow; 6 outer primaries emarginate. (Scotiaptex.)

2. S. cinefieum, (Gmel.) Aud. GREAT GRAY OWL.
Toes concealed by long feathers; cinereous brown above,
waved with white; breast streaked, belly barred; largest
of all our owls; L. 30; W. 18; T. 12. Northern, S. in
winter to N. States.

4. NYCTALE, Brehm. SPARROW OWLS.

1. N. tengmalmii, Gm. var. richardsonii, (Bon.) Ridg.
TEXGMALM'S OWL. Nostrils sunken, elongated, opening
laterally; tail more than half wing; general color choco-
late brown, variegated; L. 10; W. ?i; T. 4^. Northern,
S. to N. U. S.

2. N. acadica., (Gm.) Bon. SAW-WHET OWL. Nos-
trils prominent, nearly circular, opening anteriorly; L.
8; W. 5|; T. 2f. U. S., rather northerly.

5. SCOPS, Savigny. SCREECH OWLS.
1. 5. asio, (L.) Bon. SCREECH OWL. RED OWL.

Grayish, speckled and barred, or else with the grayish
replaced by bright reddish ; these two different styles of

FALCONID^!. — XLV. 109

plumage bearing no relation to age, sex or season; L.
10; W. 7; T. 3±. U. S., abundant.

6. BUBO, Dumeril. GREAT HORNED OWLS.

1. B. virginianus, (Gm.) Bon. GREAT HORNED OWL.
Black, gray and buffy, variously mottled and barred;
usually a whitish half-collar; ear tufts large, their feathers
mostly black; L. 22; W. 16; T. 10. U. S., abundant;
one of the strongest and most untamable of the Owls.

7. NYCTEA, Stephens. GREAT SNOW OWLS.

1. N. scandiaca, (L.) Newt. SNOWY OWL. Pure
white, more or less barred with blackish; L. 23; W. 17;
T. 10. Northern, S. in Winter; one of the handsomest
of Owls. (N~. Hivea, Auct.)

8. SURNIA, Dumeril. HAWK OWLS.
1. S. ulula, (L.) Bon., var. hudsonica, (Gm.) Ridg.
HAWK OWL. DAY OWL. Brown, much speckled and
barred; L. 16; W. 9; T. 7. Northern, S. to Wis. and
Mass.

9. SPEOTYTO, Gloger. BURROWING OWLS.

1. S. vun/'cu/ar/a, (Mol.) var. hypogcea, (Bon.) Coues.
BURROWING OWL. Brownish, much spotted and varie-
gated. L. 10; W. 7|; T. 4. Fla. and Western Plains,
living in the holes of prairie dogs.

FAMILY XLV.— FALCONID^E.

(The Falcons)

Eyes lateral, eyelids provided with lashes, usually a
projecting bony eyebrow; no complete facial disk. Toes
always naked, and usually tarsus also ; hind toe not
elevated. Head fully feathered (except in the Old World

110 BIRDS.

Vulturinas), no ear tufts. Base of stout, strongly hooked
bill, not hidden by feathers. Claws very strong and sharp.
Plumage usually of blended colors, barred or streaked;
changes considerable ; $ usually the larger. Genera fifty,
species three hundred, abounding every where. Their
habits are too well known to require description here.

I. Tarsus feathered to the toes.

a. Tarsus entirely feathered ; tail 12 or more. . AQUILA, 12.

aa. Tarsus with a narrow unfeathered strip behind ; tail less
than 12 ARCHIBDTEO, 11.

II. Tarsus reticulate all around.

&. Upper mandible toothed ; under notched ; nostrils circular.

FALCO, 1.
6&. Tail widely forked ; outer feather twice as long as middle

ones ; colors black and white. . . NAUCLERUS, 3.
111). Claws all of same length, rounded beneath ; tibial feathers

close ; plumage compact, without after shafts. PANDION, 2.
bbbb. Tail emarginate, and outer feather not longer than middle ;

head and tail white in adult. . . . ELANUS, 5.

III. Tarsus scutellate in front only (occasionally "booted.")

c. Toes not webbed at all ; neck feathers lanceolate, white in

adult HALIAETUS, 13.

cc. Toes somewhat webbed at base.
d. Nostrils circular; tail less than £ length of wing.

ICTINIA, 4.

dd. Nostrils oval ; tail more than §• length of wing.

e. Tarsus feathered about half way down in front, the

feathers scarcely separated behind. . ASTUR, 7.

ee. Tarsus feathered less than one-third down in front, the

feathers widely separated behind. . ACCIPITER, 8.

IV. Tarsus scutellate in front and behind.

/. Face with a slight ruff; tarsus twice length of middle toe;

upper tail coverts white CIRCUS, 6.

ff. No ruff; 3 or 4 outer primaries einargiuate ; rump not white.

BuTEOj 10.

FALCONID^E. — XLV. Ill

fff. No ruff; 4 primaries emarginate ; tail coverts white ; tail
black. ASTURINA, 9.

/, FALGO, Linnaeus. FALCONS.

* First primary only emarginate on inner web ; 2cl longest, 1st

shorter than 4th ; tarsal plates small ; sexes colored alike,
f Tarsus not longer than middle toe, scarcely feathered below
joint. (Falco.)

1. F. com munis, Gm. PEREGRINE FALCON. DUCK
HAAVK. Blackish ash with paler waves; below whitish,
barred; black cheek patches; L. 16; W. 13; T. 7. U.
S., not common.

\\ Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw, feathered for some
distance. (Hierofalco, Cuv.)

2. F. sacer, Forst. GYRFALCON. Tarsus feathered
half way down, with only a bare strip behind; white or
ashy with dark markings; L. 24; W. 16; T. 10. Northern
regions of both continents; var. islandicus, S. to U. S.
in winter. (F. gyrfalco, L.)

3. F. mexicanus, Licht. LANIER FALCON. Tarsus
feathered ^ way down; general color brown; L. 18; W.
14; T. 8. S. W., E. to Ills.

** Two primaries emarginate i tarsal plates enlarged in front,

appearing like scutella.

J Tarsus about equal to middle toe; basal joints of toes without
transverse scutella. (jffisalon, Kaup.)

4. F. columbarius, L. PIGEON HAAVK. AMERICAN
MERLIN. Ashy blue or blackish above, variegated
below; L. 13; W. 8; T. 5. U. S.

\i Tarsus longer than middle toe ; basal joints of toes with
transverse scutella. (Tinnunculus, Vieill.)

5. F. sparverius, L. SPARROAV HAAVK. RUSTY -
CROWNED FALCON. Back tawny; wings bluish and
black; seven black blotches about head; tail chestnut,

112 BIRDS.

with a broad black band in $, and a narrow terminal one
of white; below white or tawny; L. 11; W. 7; T. 5.
U. S., abundant.

2. PANDION, Savigny. OSPREYS.
1. P. haliaetus, (L.) Savigny. OSPREY. FISH HAWK.
Dark brown; head, neck and under parts mostly white;
feet very large; L. 24; W. 20; T. 10. U. S.; feeds on
fishes.

3. NA UCLERUS, Vigors. SWALLOW -TAILED KITES.

1. N. furcatus, (L.) Vig. SWALLOW - TAILED KITE.
Lustrous black; head, neck and lower parts white; W.
17; T. 14. Southern, N. to Penn. and Minn.

4. ICTINIA, Vieillot. BLUE KITES.
1. /. subcceruleus, (Bart.) Coues. MISSISSIPPI KITE.
Chiefly lead blue, wings with chestnut; L. 15; "W. 12;
T. 6£. Southern, N. to Penn. and Wis. (I. mississip-
piensis, Auct.)

5. ELANUS, Savigny. WHITE-TAILED KITES.
1. E. glaucus, (Bartr.) Coues. BLACK - SHOULDERED
KITE. L. 17. Southern, N. to S. Ills. (E. leucurus,
Auct.)

6. CIRCUS, Lacepede. MARSH HARRIERS.
1. C. cyaneus (L.) var. hudsonius, (L.) Coues. MARSH
HARRIER. Pale bluish or brown; rump and under parts
whitish; L. 18; W. 15; T. 9. N. Am., abundant.

7. ASTUR, Lacepede. GOSHAWKS.
1. A. palumbarius, (L.) var. atr/cap///us, (Wils.) Coues.
GOSHAWK. Slate blue with white superciliary stripe;
tail with four dark bars; L. 24; W. 14; T. 11. Northern,
S. to U. S. in winter.

FALCONID^E. — XLV. 113

8. ACCIPITER, Brisson. HAWKS.

= Nisus, Cuvier.

1. A. fuscus, ^Gm.) Bon. SHARP - SHINNED HAWK.
" PIGEON HAWK." Bare portion of tarsus in front,
longer than middle toe; tarsus "booted" in <$; general
color dark brown; L. 12; W. 7; T. 6. U. S., abundant.

2. A. cooperi, Bon. CHICKEN HAWK. Bare tarsus
shorter than middle toe; L. 18; W. 10; T. 8. N. Am.

9. ASTURINA, Vieillot. GRAY HAWKS.

1. A. nitida, (Lath.) var. plagiata, (Schl.) Coues. GRAY
HAWK. L. 18; W. 10; T. 7£. Mexican, straying to S.
Ills.

10. BUTEO, Cuvier. BUZZARDS.
* 4 outer primaries emarginate on inner web. (Suteo.)

1. B. borealis, (Gm.) Vieill. HEN HAWK. RED-TAILED
BUZZARD. Dark brown; much barred and streaked; tail
bright chestnut red above; L. 23; W. 15J; T. 8J. U. S.,
common.

2. B. //'neatus, (Gm.) Jard. RED - SHOULDERED BUZ-
ZARD. Dark reddish brown, variegated; bend of wing
orange brown; L. 22; W. 14; T. 9. Smaller than the
preceding, although nearly as long. E. N. Am., abundant.
** 3 outer primaries emarginate on inner web. (Craxirex, Gould.)

3. B. swainsoni, Bon. SWAINSON'S BUZZARD. Gray,
variously streaked, usually a dark area on throat and
breast; tail with six or more narrow dark bars; variable;
L. 20; W. 16; T. 8£. Western; E. to Ind. and Mass.

4. B. pennsylvanicus, (Wils.) Bon. BROAD -WINGED
HAWK. Brown above, whitish or fulvous below, variously
streaked and barred; conspicuous dark cheek patches;
tail with broad dark bands alternating with narrower

114 BIRDS.

pale ones, white -tipped; L. 18; W. 11; T. 7. E. U. S.;
a stout, handsome, though small hawk.

//. ARCHIBUTEO, Brehm. SQUIRREL HAWKS.

1. A. lagopus, (Brunn.), var. sancti-johannis, (Gm.)
Ridg. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. BLACK HAWK. Chiefly
whitish but sometimes entirely black; L. 24; W. 18; T.
10. N. Am.

12. AQUILA, Mohring. GOLDEN EAGLES.

1. A. chrysaetusr (L.) GOLDEN EAGLE. Glossy purplish
brown; head and neck golden brown; quills blackish;
L. 36; W. 25; T. 16. N. Am., chiefly northerly.

13. HALIAETUS, Savigny. BALD EAGLES.

1. H. leucocephalus, (L.) Savigny. BALD EAGLE. Dark
brown; head, neck and tail white (after the third year);
L. 36; W. 25; T. 14. N. Am., every where; feeds on
fishes. "A piratical parasite of the Osprey, otherwise
notorious as the emblem of the Republic." (Coues.)

FAMILY XLVI. — CATHARTID^E.

(The New World Vultures.)

Head and part of neck bare. Eyes lateral, not over-
hung; ears small. Bill lengthened, weak and but little
hooked; nostrils perforate. Wings very long and strong,
giving a strength and grace of flight scarcely excelled.
Hind toe short, and elevated; front toes long, some-
what webbed, with rather weak and straightish claws.
Large turkey -like raptores, without the strength and
spirit. of the hawks and owls; " voracious and indiscrimi-
nate gormandizers of carrion and animal refuse of all
sorts, hence efficient and almost indispensable scavengers
in the warm countries where they abound." (Coues.)

CATHARTID^E. — XLVI. 115

Two species, the Condor and the California Vulture, are
among the largest birds of flight in the world. All are
American, the Old World Vultures ( Vulturince) being
Vulture -like hawks. Genera five; species six or eight.

* Wings very long, primaries reaching to end of tail or farther ;
skin of neck not corrugated ; a tuft of bristles in front of
eye RHINOGRYPHUS, 1.

** Wings short, scarcely reaching middle of tail ; skin of neck
corrugated ; no bristles in front of eye. . CATHAJRISTA, 2.

/. RHINOGRYPHUS, Ridgway. TUEKEY BUZZARDS.
< Cathartes, Illiger.

1. R. aura, (L.) Ridg. TURKEY BUZZARD. Black,
lustrous above; skin of head and neck red; L. 30; W.
22; T. 12. N. Am., abundant, southward.

2. CATHARISTA,ViQi\\oi. CARRION CROWS.

1. C. atrata, (Bartr.) Gray. CARRION CROW. Uniform
dull black; L. 24; W. 17; T. 8. N. C. to Mexico;
rarely straying northward.

OEDEE K-COLUMB^E.

(The Doves)

Bill straight, compressed, the horny tip separated by
a constriction from the soft part. Nostrils opening
beneath a soft, tumid membrane. Frontal feathers
sweeping in a strongly convex outline across base of
upper mandible; tomias meeting. Hind toe on a level
with the rest (except in Stamcenas, etc.), the others
usually not webbed. Tarsus mostly scutellate in front,
elsewhere reticulate, the plates soft. Head small.

116 BIRDS.

Plumage soft, compact, the feathers very loosely inserted.
Altricial; monogamous. .

FAMILY XLVIL— COLUMBINE.

( The Doves)

"Wings long, pointed. Tail never forked, of 12 or 14
feathers; male with the neck iridescent. Species about
three hundred, found ,in most regions, but most abundant
in the East Indies. Besides the following, quite a num-
ber of species occur in the Southern States. The com-
mon domesticated dove (Columba lima) is a fair type of
the family.

* Tarsus feathered at the suffrage, shorter than the lateral toes ;
tail very long, wedge-shaped, of 12 feathers. ECTOPISTES, 1.
** Tarsus entirely bare, longer than the lateral toes.
f Tail long, pointed, of 14 feathers ; length more than 10.

ZEN^DUBA, 2.
ff Tail short, rounded, of 12 feathers ; length less than 8.

CHAM^PELIA, 3.

/. ECTOPISTES, Swainson. PASSENGER PIGEONS.
1. E. migraiorius, (L.) Sw. WILD PIGEON. Bluish with
reddish and violet tinges, reddish below; L. 17; W. 7£;
T. 8. N. A., abundant; gregarious.

2. ZENSEDURA, Bonaparte. MOURNING DOVES.

1. Z. caro/inensis, (L.) Bon. MOURNING DOVE. TURTLE
DOVE. CAROLINA DOVE. Brownish olive, glossed with
blue and wine color; plumage with metallic lustre; L.
12; W. 5f ; T. 6f . U. S., abundant.

3. CHAMMPELIA, Swainson. GROUND DOVES.

1. .C passerinq, (L.) Sw. GROUND DOVE. Grayish
olive, with bluish gloss; L. 6J; W. 3£; T. 2|. Southern,
N. to Washington, D.C.

MELEAGBIIXE. — XLVIII. 117

OEDEB L.-

(The Gallinaceous Birds.)

Bill short, stout, convex, horny, not constricted; nostrils
scaled or feathered, cutting edge of upper mandible over-
lapping. Head often partly or wholly naked, sometimes
with fleshy processes. Legs moderate, stout; hind toe
elevated (excepting in Cracidce, etc.), smaller than the
other toes, sometimes wanting. Tarsus broadly scutellate
(sometimes feathered), occasionally spurred in the males;
claws blunt, not much curved. Wings short, strong, con-
cave; tail various, sometimes wanting, often immensely
developed. Precocial, often polygamous.

A large order comprising the various kinds of domesti-
cated fowl as well as the chief game birds of most
countries.

FAMILY XLVIII. — MELEAGRIDJE.

(The Turkeys.)

Large birds, with the head and neck unfeathered,
covered with scattered hairs, and more or less caruncu-
late. Bill moderate; nostrils bare; forehead with an
elongate fleshy process. Tarsus spurred in male; hind
toe elevated. Tail nearly as long as wing, truncate, of
more than twelve feathers. Breast of male mostly with
a tuft of long bristles. Genus one; species two. M.
ocellatus, of tropical America, and the common Turkey.

/. MELEAGRIS, Linnaeus. TURKEYS.

1. M. gallopavo, L. WILD TURKEY. Glossy, coppery
black; L. 48; W. 21; T. 18J. Canada to Rocky Moun-
tains, and south to Mexico, becoming extinct eastwards.
The domestic Turkey is descended from a Mexican
variety.

118 BIRDS.

FAMILY XLIX. —

(The Grouse.}

Nostrils and tarsus densely feathered. Toes usually
naked. Tail various with sixteen to twenty feathers.
Usually a naked strip over eye; sides of neck often with
a bare patch or lengthened feathers, or both. Genera
seven; species fifteen; chiefly North American.
* Toes naked.

f Tarsus feathered to the toes.

\ Tail of 16 feathers ; colors dark. . . . CANACE, 1.
# Tail of 18 feathers.
a. Neck without peculiar feathers ; middle tail feathers pro-

jecting PEDICECETES, 2.

aa. Neck with peculiar, elongated, lanceolate feathers above

a large, bare, bright-colored patch. . CUPIDONIA, 3.

ff Tarsus feathered about half way ; tail of 18 soft, broad

feathers BONASA, 4.

** Toes feathered ; winter plumage pure white. . LAGOPUS, 5.

/. CANACE, Reichenbach. AMERICAN GROUSE.
< Tetrao, L.

1. C. canadensis, (L.) Reich. SPRUCE PARTRIDGE.
CANADA GROUSE. Black above with plumbeous mark-
ings; mostly black below with white spots; tail with an
orange brown terminal band; $ smaller, black interrupted
or streaky; L. 16; W. 6|; T. 5£. Spruce swamps, N.
U. S. and Northward.

2. PEDKECETESjR&ird. SHARP -TAILED GROUSE.

1. P. phasianellus, (L.) var. columbianus, (Ord.) Coues.
SHARP -TAILED GROUSE. Chiefly yellowish brown and
white; sexes alike; L. 18; W. 8f; T. 5. Illinois to
Colorado, N. and W.

PERDICID^E. — L. 119

3. CUPIDONIA, Reich. PINNATED GEOUSE.
1. C. cupido, (L.) Baird. PRAIRIE HEN. PRAIRIE
CHICKEN. Sides of neck with a tuft of long pointed
feathers, beneath which is a patch of bare, red skin,
capable of great inflation; black, tawny and white, barred
and streaked; L. 17; W. 9; T. 4£; $ smaller. Prairies,
etc., Martha's Vineyard to La. and N.; nearly extermin-
ated eastward.

4. BONASA, Stephens. RUFFED GROUSE.

1. B. umbellus, (L.) Stephens. PARTRIDGE (North.)
PHEASANT (South.) Crested; sides of neck with a ruff
of soft black feathers; variegated, reddish or grayish
brown, with blackish and pale; L. 18; W. 7i; T. 7. E.
U. S., abundant in woodland.

5. LAG OPUS, Vieillot. PTARMIGANS.

1. L. a/bus, (Gm.) And. WHITE PTARMIGAN. WILLOW
GROUSE. Fore parts cinnamon brown, variegated with
blackish; in winter pure white; bill stout; L. 16; W. 8;
T. 5. British America; N. U. S. (rarely, in winter.)

FAMILY L.— PERDICID^E.

(The Partridges.')

Nostrils unfeathered, protected by a naked scale;
tarsus bare and scutellate, circumorbital space usually
not bare; in most respects similar to the Grouse, but
smaller. Our species are crested (excepting the com-
mon Quail) and Western or Southwestern.

/. ORTYX, Stephens. BOB -WHITES.

1. 0. v/rginianus, (L.) Bon. QUAIL (North.) PART-
RIDGE (South.) BOB -WHITE. Forehead, line through
eyes, chin and throat white, brownish yellow in $;

120 BIRDS.

crown dark ; plumage generally chestnut red, barred
and streaked; L. 9fc W. 5; T. 3. E. U. S., and West
Indies; W. to Plains.

OEDEE M.-LIMICOL^E.

(The Shore Birds.)

Tibia more or less naked below (sometimes very
slightly); legs, and usually neck also, elongated; hind
toe free and elevated, often wanting. Head globose,
abruptly sloping to the base of the bill, completely
feathered (except in Philomachus <$); gape short; bill
weak, flexible, more or less soft - skinned, and therefore
sensitive, blunt at tip, without hard cutting edges —
fitted for probing in the mud; nostrils slit-like, surround-
ed by soft skin, never feathered; body never strongly
compressed or depressed; nature precocial.

Birds of medium or small size, more or less aquatic;
found in most regions; very abundant in America.

FAMILY LI. — CHARADRIID^.

(The Plovers.)

Head rather large, nearly globose; bill of moderate
length, shaped somewhat like a pigeon's bill, with a
constriction behind the horny terminal portion; nasal
fossae lined with soft skin, through which the slit - like
nostrils open. Wings long and pointed, usually reaching
beyond the tip of the short tail, sometimes spurred.
Toes usually three, with basal web; tarsus reticulated;
tibiae naked below. Sexes similar, but seasonal changes
of plumage great. Species sixty or more, in most parts
of the world.
* Plumage speckled ; black below in breeding season.

CHARIDRIID2E. — LI. 121

f Hind toe present , very short, . . . SQUATAROLA, 1.

ff Hind toe absent CHARADKICS, 2.

** Plumage not speckled ; head and neck with dark bands in the
breeding season ; toes 3. . . . . ^EGIALITIS, 3.

/. SQUATAROLA, Cuvier. WHISTLING PLOVERS.

1. S. helvetica, (L.) Cuv. BLACK - BELLIED PLOVER.
Ox-EYE. Grayish, speckled; black below in breeding
season, at other times white; L. 11^, W. 7; T. 3; B.
1£; Ts. 2. In most parts of the world.

2. CHARADRIUS, L. GOLDEN PLOVERS.

1. C. fulvus (<jrm.) var. virginicus, (Borck. ) Coues.
GOLDEN PLOVER. FROST BIRD. Dark and grayish
above, profusely speckled, some of the spots bright
yellow; black below in breeding season, at other times
grayish; L. 10i; W. 7; T. 3; B. 1; Ts. If. N. Am., a
well known game bird.

3. JEGIAIITIS, Boie. RING - NECK PLOVERS.
* Bill black, rather long; L. 8 or more.

1. JE. vociferus, (L.) Cass. KILDEER PLOVER. Brown;
rump bright orange brown ; tail with black, white, and
orange; two black bars across breast, and one above the
white forehead; L. 9fc; W. 6£; T. 3J. N. Am., abund-
ant in the Miss. Valley.

** Bill black-tipped, short and stout; L. 7 or less.

2. /E . semipalmaius, (Bon.) Cab. RING - NECK PLOVER.
Dark ashy brown; black bands broad; feet semipalmate;
L. 7. N. Am.

3. JE. melodus, (Ord.) Cab. PIPING PLOVER. Very
pale ashy brown, clear white below; dark bands narrow
and faint; toes slightly webbed; L. 6|-. E. N. Am.,
abundant along the coast.

6

122 BIRDS.

FAMILY LIL — HJEMATOPODID^.

(The Turnstones.)

Bill hard, acute, or truncate ; nasal fossae short, broad,
and shallow. Legs short, stout, brightly colored. Genera
two, not much alike; species six or eight; in most parts
of the world.

* Toes 3, webbed at base ; tarsus reticulate, shorter than the trun-

cate, compressed, almost woodpecker-like bill.

H.EMATOPUS, 1.

** Toes 4, not webbed ; tarsus scutellate in front, as long as the
sharp, pointed bill STKEPSILAS, 2.

1. HSEMATOPUS, Linnaeus. OYSTER CATCHERS.

1. H. pa//iatus, Temminck. OYSTER CATCHER,. Ashy
brown and blackish, mostly white below; L. 18; W. 10;
T. 4£; B. 3. Coasts.

2. STREPSILAS, Linnaeus. TURNSTONES.

1. S. interpres, (L.) Illiger. TURNSTONE. Variegated;
black, white, brown, and chestnut above; mostly white
below; no reddish in winter; L. 8J; W. 6; T. 2£.
Cosmopolitan; abundant.

FAMILY LIIL— RECURVIROSTRID^.

(The Awcets.)

Legs excessively long. Bill very slender, long, acute,
often recurved. Genera three, species eight; in most
parts of the world. Himantopus is said to have the
longest legs relatively of any bird.

* Toes 4, full webbed ; bill recurved, flattened, tapering to a needle-

like point ; plumage beneath thickened as in clucks ; swim-
mers RECTIRVIROSTRA, 1.

** Toes 3, semipalmate ; bill nearly straight, not flattened.

HIMANTOPUS, 2.

PHALAKOPODID^E. — LlV. 123

/. RECURVIROSTRA, Linnaeus. AVOCETS.
1. R. americana, Gm., AVOCET. BLUE STOCKING.
White, marked with black and cinnamon; legs blue; L.
18; W. 8; T. 3f U. S.

2. HIMANTOPUS, Brisson. STILTS.
1. H. nigricollis, Vieillot. STILT. LONG SHANKS.
LAWYER. Glossy black, white below, legs pink; L. 15;
W. 9; T. 3; Ts. 4. U. S.

FAMILY LIV.— PHALAROPODID^E.

(The Phalaropes.)

Snipe-like birds with the toes lobed, as in the coots
and grebes, but the lobes narrower. Swimmers; body
depressed and the under plumage thick as in the Ducks.
Tarsus much compressed. Three species representing
as many genera; of northern regions of both hemis-
pheres, southward in winter.

* Bill flattened ; membranes scalloped. . . PHALAROPUS, 1.
** Bill subulate ; membranes scalloped. . . LOBIPES, 2.
*** Bill subulate ; membranes plain. . . STEGANOPUS, 3.

/. PHALAROPUS, Brisson. RED PHALAROPES.
1. P. fulicarius, (L.) Bon. RED PHALAROPE. Variega-
ted above, purplish chestnut below; young white below;
L. 8; W. 5; T. 2J; B. 1. Northern Am.

2. LOBIPES, Cuvier. NORTHERN PHALAROPES.

1. L hyperboreus, (L.) Cuv. NORTHERN PHALAROPE.
Grayish black, variegated; rump and under parts white;
sides of neck with chestnut stripe. Northern regions.

3. STEGANOPUS, Vieillot. PHALAROPES.
1. 5. wilsoni, (Sab.) Coues. WILSON'S PHALAROPE.

124 BIRDS.

Ashy above, variegated; rump and under parts white;
sides of neck with a -black stripe which changes to chest-
nut below. Northern regions.

FAMILY LV.— SCOLOPACID^E.

(The Snipe.)

%

Bill elongated, usually longer than the head; if short
not plover - like, being soft - skinned throughout (hard
when dry); nasal grooves narrow channels ranging
from half to nearly the whole length of the bill;
sides of lower mandible usually also grooved; nostrils
narrow exposed slits; head feathered. Wings usually
thin and pointed ; tail short and soft ; tibiae rarely
entirely feathered. Tarsus never entirely reticulate and
usually scutellate in front and behind; hind toe present
(except in Calidris); front toes cleft or slightly webbed;
size medium or small. Sexes alike or female slightly
larger ; seasonal changes in plumage often strongly
marked. Eggs usually four, placed with the small ends
together in a slight nest or depression in the ground;
notes various; mostly migratory or gregarious. Genera
fifteen or more, species about ninety; chiefly of northern
regions, but some species in most parts of the world.

* Toes 3. CALIDRIS, 8.

** Toes 4.

f Tarsus scutellate in front only; bill slender, decurved, very
much longer than the head. . . . NUMENIUS, 15.

ft Tarsus scutellate in front and behind.
£ Feet semi palmate; toes somewhat webbed at base.
a Tail barred crosswise, with light and dark colors.
6. Gape not reaching beyond base of culmen.
c. Culmen furrowed ; length less than 12.

MACRORHAMPHUS, 4

OPACID^E. — LV. 125

cc. Culmen unfurrowed ; length more than 12.

LlMOSA, 9.

lib. Gape reaching beyond base of culinen.
d. Length more than 9.

e. Bill longer than head. . . . TOTANUS, 10.
ee. Bill not longer than head.
/. Tail more than half the length of wing.

* ACTITURUS, 13.

ff. Tail less than half the length of wing.

PHILOMACHUS, 12.

dd. Length less than 9 ; second toe unwebbed.
g. Bill grooved nearly to tip ; back not speckled with
white ; adult with black spots below.

TRINGOIDES, 11.

gg. Bill grooved about half way to tip ; back speckled
with white, not spotted below. . TOTANUS, 10.
aa. Tail not barred.
h. One minute web; primaries mottled with black.

TRYNGITES, 14.

7i7i. Feet with two plain webs.

i. Bill about as long as head. . . EREUNETES, 6.
ii. Bill much longer than head. . MICROPALAMA, 5.
U Toes not webbed at all.

,;". First primary attenuate ; bill straight, shorter than head ;
culinen grooved SCOLOPAX, 2.

jy. First three primaries attenuate ; bill as in Scolopax.

PHILOHELA, I.
jjj. Primaries not attenuate.

k. Bill straight, about twice as long as head.

GALLINAGO, 3.

Kk. Bill straight, much shorter than head ; primaries

mottled with black. . . . TRYNGITES, 14.

kkk. All other Sandpipers. . . . TRINGA, 7.

/. PHILOMELA, Gray. AMERICAN WOODCOCKS.
1. P. minor, ( Gm. ) Gray. AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

126 BIRDS.

Variegated, black, brown, gray, and russet; below warm
brown; eye high and far back; L. 11; W. 5; B. 3; T.
1J. E. U. S., in swamps, etc.

2. SCOLOPAX, Linnaeus. EUROPEAN WOODCOCKS.

1. S. rusf/co/a, L. EUROPEAN WOODCOCK. General
appearance of Philoliela, but a third larger. European;
accidental on our Atlantic coast.

3. GALLINAGO, Leach. SNIPE.

1. G. wilsoni, (Temm.) Bon. AMERICAN SNIPE. WIL-
SON'S SNIPE. Back varied with black and bay; crown
black, with a pale median stripe; bill straight, very long;
L. 11; W. 5; B. 2J; leg naked, 3; T. 2£. E. U. S.,
abundant.

4. MACRORHAMPHUS, Leach. RED -BREASTED SNIPE.

1. HI. griseus, (Gm.) Leach. GRAY SNIPE. BROWN-
BACK. Blackish and grayish ; breast bay in summer;
bill long nearly as in Gallinago; L. 11; W. 5^; T. 2J.
North America; abundant coastwise.

5. MICROPALAMA, Baird. STILT SANDPIPERS.

1. M. himaniopus, (Bon.) Baird. STILT SANDPIPER.
Blackish, marked with chestnut, etc.; ashy gray in win-
ter; bill nearly as in Gallinayo; L. 9; W. 5; T. 2J. N.
Am., not abundant.

6. EREUNETES,mger. SAND -PEEPS.

1. E. pusillus, (L.) Cass. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER.
PEEP. Plumage various, usually pale, white below ;
small; L. 6£; W. 3|; T. 2. N. Am.; abundant along
beaches.

SCOLOPACID^. — LV. 127

7. TRINGA, Linnagus. SANDPIPERS.

* Bill, tarsus, and middle toe with claw, of about equal length.

(Actodromas.)

f Upper tail coverts (except the lateral series) black or dark
brown ; throat with an ashy or brownish suffusion and
dusky streaks.

1. T. minut///a, Vieill. LEAST SANDPIPER. PEEP.
Smallest of the" Sandpipers, resembling Ereunetes, but
the feet different; L. 6; W. 3£; T. 2. N. Am., abundant.

2. T. bairdiif (Coues) Scl. BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. Colors
of preceding but larger; throat but little streaked; L. 7
to 7i; W. 4f ; T. 2£; B. f. America, rare E. of the
Mississippi R.

3. T. ma.cula.ta, Vieill. PECTORAL SNIPE. JACK SNIPE.
GRASS SNIPE. Crown unlike neck; throat ashy-shaded
and sharply streaked; L. 9; W. 5£; B. 1£. N. Am.,
abundant.

ft Upper tail coverts white, with or without dusky marks ; throat
sharply streaked, with little if any ashy suffusion.

4. T. fuscicollis, Vieill. WHITE - HUMPED SAND-
PIPER. L. 7£; W. 4f ; T. 2J-. E. U. S., abundant along
the coast.

** Bill, tarsus, and middle toe, obviously not of equal length.
\ Tarsus shorter than middle toe ; tibiae feathered. (Arquatetta.)

5. T. maritima, Bru'nnich. PURPLE SANDPIPER. Ashy
black with purplish reflections; feathers with pale edg-
ings; lower parts, etc., mostly white; bill nearly straight;
L. 9; W. 5; T. 2f ; B. 1±. Atlantic Coast.

$ Tarsus not shorter than middle toe ; tibiae bare below.
a. Bill slightly decurvecl, much longer than tarsus. (Pelidna)

6. T. alpina (L.) var. americana, Cass. AM. DUNLIN.
Ox - BIRD. BLACK - BELLIED SANDPIPER. Chestnut
brown above; feathers black centrally; belly, in summer,

128 BIKDS.

with a broad black area; L. 9; W. 5; T. 2£; B. If.
N. Am.

an. Bill perfectly straight. (Tringa.)

7. T. canutus, L. ROBIN SNIPE. RED -BREASTED
SANDPIPER. Brownish black, brownish red (robin -like)
below; L. 11; W. 6J; T. 2%. Atlantic Coast; abundant.

8. CALIDRIS, Cuvier. SANDERLINGS.
1. C. arenaria, (L.) 111. SANDERLING. RUDDY PLOVER.
Variegated; form of T. canutus, but the hind toe want-
ing; L. 8; W. 5; T. 2£; B. 1. N. Am.; abundant
coastwise.

9. LIMOSA, Brisson. GOD WITS.

1. L. fedoa, (L.) Ord. GREAT MARBLED GODWTT.
MARLIN. Cinnamon brown, variegated above, nearly
uniform below; tail barred; no pure white; L. 16 to 22;
W. 9; T. 3J; B. 4J. U. S., abundant along shores.

2. L hudsonica, (Lath.) Sw. BLACK -TAILED GODWIT.
Brownish black and reddish, more or less variegated
above and below; some white; tail black, white at base;
L. 15; W. 8; Ts. 2£; B. 3J. N. Am., rather northerly.

10. TOTANUS, Bechstein. TATTLERS.

* Toes with two sub-equal webs; legs dark or bluish. (Sym-
pfiemia.)

1. T. semipalmatus, Gmelin. WILLET. SEMIPALMATED
TATTLER. Grayish, variegated; L. 12 to 16; W. 7|; T.
3; B. 2J. U. S., common coastwise.

** Toes with the inner web very small ; legs yellow. (Glottis,
Nilsson.)

2. T. me/ano/eucus, Gm. GREATER TELL-TALE. YEL-
LOW SHANKS. STONE SNIPE. Ashy brown, variegated;
bill very slender; legs long; L. 12J; W. 7J; T. 3J; B.
2J. N. Am., frequent.

SCOLOPACID^E. — LV. 129

3. T. flavipes, Gm. LESSER TELL-TALE. YELLOW
SHANKS. Colors as in preceding; smaller; legs longer;
L. 11; W. 61; T. 21; B. If. U. S., abundant.

*** Toes with inner web rudimentary; legs blackish. (Rhya-
cophilus, Kaup.)

4. T. solitarius, Wilson. SOLITARY TATTLER. Olive
brown, streaked and speckled with whitish above; below
white, breast with dusky suffusion; bill straight and
slender; L. 9; W. 5; T. 2J; B. 1J. U.S., abundant
about secluded ponds, etc.

//. TRINGOIDES, Bonaparte. SPOTTED SANDPIPERS.

1. T. macularius, (L.) Gray. TIP -Up. TEETER -TAIL.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Lustrous drab above, varied with
black; pure white below, with round black spots in
adult; L. 8; W. 4; T. 2; B. 1. U. S., everywhere.

12. PHILOMACHUS, Mohring. RUFFS.
1. P. pugnax, (L.) Gray. RUFF ($). REEVE ($). Male
in breeding season with a great ruff, and the face bare;
? without these characters; L. 10; W. 7; T. 2f ; B. 1£.
European; accidental on our coasts.

13. ACTITURUS, Bonaparte. UPLAND SANDPIPERS.

1. A. bartramius, (Wilson) Bon. UPLAND PLOVER.

Dark grayish, variegated; L. 13; W. 7; T. 4; B. !£.
U. S., abundant in fields, etc.

14. TRYNGITES, Cabanis. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS.
1. T. rufescens, (Vieill.) Cab. Grayish, reddish below;
quills with white and finely mottled with black; L. 8;
W. 5J; T. 2£. U. S., with the last, but not common.

15. NUMENIUS, Linnaeus. CURLEWS.
1. N. hng/rostr/'s, Wils. LONG -BILLED CURLEW.

130 BIRDS.

SICKLE BILL. Reddish gray, variegated; L. 24; W. 12;
T. 4; B. 5 to 9. U. S., frequent.

2. N. hudsonicus, Lath. JACK CURLEW. Similar, but
paler; L. 18; W. 9; T. 3J; B. 3 or 4. U. S., and north-
ward.

3. N. borea/is, (Forst.) Lath. ESQUIMAUX CURLEW.
DOUGH BIRD. More reddish; L. 15 or less; W. 8J; T.
3; B. 2J. U. S., northwards.

OEDEE K-HEEODICXtsTES.

(The Herons and Storks.)

Birds usually of large stature, with compressed body,
long legs and a very long "S-bent" neck; tibia naked
below; toes long and slender, cleft or slightly webbed,
the hind toe comparatively long and (usually) not ele-
vated, provided with a large claw. Wings broad,
rounded. Tail short. Head narrow, gradually contracting
to the stout base of the bill, which is long and mostly
hard and acute, with sharp cutting edges; lores, orbital
space, and often whole head naked. Plumage with
powder-down tracts (explained below); altricial.

FAMILY LVL — ARDEIDJE.

(T7ie Herons.)

Large birds with the bill straight, longer than the
head, compressed, acute, with sharp - cutting edges;
upper mandible grooved; nostrils linear; lores naked,
the bill appearing to run directly to the eyes; rest of
head feathered; parts of the body with "powder -down
tracts," — strips of short, dusty, or greasy down -like
feathers, usually three pairs of these strips, i. e., on the
back above the hips, on the belly under the hips, and

AKDEID.E. — LVI. 131

on the breast; usually long plumes from the back or
head in the breeding season. Wings broad. Tail very
short. Tibue largely naked below; toes long and slen-
der, hind toe on a level with the rest, middle claw
pectinate. Sexes usually colored alike. Species nearly
one hundred; in most parts of the world, abundant in
the warmer regions.

* Tail of 12 feathers ; usually a crest or train in the breeding

season ; lateral toes more than half length of tarsus,
f Tibia bare two inches or more.
$ Length 36 or more.

a. General color bluish or ashy brown. . ARDEA, 1.
aa. Color white at all times. . . . HERODIAS, 2.
ft Length 24 or less.
&. Color white at all times ; legs black and yellow.

GARZETTA, 3.

&&. General color bluish (young white), legs black or bluish.

FLORIDA, 4.
f f Tibia bare one inch or less.

c. Tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw.

d. Bill more than thrice as long as high. . BUTORIDES, 5.

dd. Bill not three times as long as high. NYCTIARDEA, 6.

cc. Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw; bill more than

half an inch deep at base. . . NYCTIIERODIUS, 7.

** Tail of 10 feathers ; no crest nor train ; lower neck bare behind ;

length less than 30.

e. Length more than 18 ; tawny, much streaked. BOTAURUS, 8.
ee. Length less than 18 ; glossy blackish or chestnut.

ARDETTA, 9.

/. ARDEA, Linnaeus. HERONS.

1. A. herodias, L. GREAT BLUE HERON. Grayish
blue, marked with black and white; back of head crested
in breeding season; tibia and edge of wing chestnut
brown; L. 48; W. 20; T. 7; B. 5£; Ts. 6£; $ much
smaller. U. S., common.

132 BIRDS.

2. HERODIAS, Gray. GREAT WHITE EGRETS.
1. H. egretta, (Gm.) Gray. GREAT WHITE EGRET.
WHITE HERON. Pure white; head without lengthened
feathers; back in breeding season with a long train; L.
40; W. 17; B. 5; Ts. 6. U. S., chiefly southerly.

3. GARZETTA, Bonaparte. LITTLE WHITE EGRETS.

/. G. candidissima, (Jacq.) Bon. SNOWY EGRET. Pure
white ; head and neck with long plumes in breeding
season; L. 24; W. 12; B. 3; T. 4. Southern and middle
States; abundant.

4. FLORIDA, Baird. LITTLE BLUE HERONS.

1. F. cceru/ea, (L.) Baird. LITTLE BLUE HERON.
Slaty blue; young white; head with elongated feathers;
no dorsal plumes; L. 24; W. 12; B. 3; Ts. 4. U. S.;
abundant, southerly.

5. BUTORIDES, Bonaparte. GREEN HERONS.

1. B. virescens, (L.) Bon. GREEN HERON. Crown,
back and wings lustrous dark green; neck purplish cin-
namon; crested; back with lengthened feathers; L. 18;
W. 7; B. 2|. U. S., abundant.

6. NYCTIARDEA, Swainson. NIGHT HERONS.

1. N. grisea (L.) Steph., var. ncevia, (Bodd.) Allen.
QUA BIRD. SQUAWK. NIGHT HERON. Bluish gray,
crown and shoulders glossy green ; no peculiar feathers
save two or three long, white occipital plumes; young
speckled, very different; L. 24; W. 14; B. 3; Ts. 3.
U. S., frequent.

7. NYCTHERODIUS, Auctorum. YELLOW - CROWNED

NIGHT HERONS.
1. N. violacsus, (L.) . YELLOW -CROWNED NIGHT

TANTALIDJE. — LVII. 133

HERON. Grayish plumbeous; crested; back with long
plumes; crown, etc., tawny or white; young speckled;
size of last; B. 2f ; Ts. 3f. U. S.

8. BOTAURUS, Stephens. BITTERNS.

1. B. mugitans, (Bartr.) Coues. INDIAN HEN. STAKE
DRIVER. BITTERN. Tawny brown of various shades,
excessively variegated every where; dark patch on each
side of neck; L. 23 to 28; W. 12; T. 4J; B. 3. U. S.,
abundant.

9. ARDETTA, Gray. LEAST BITTERN.

1. A. exilis, (Gm.) Gray. LEAST BITTERN. $ chiefly
glossy greenish black above, brownish yellow below,
neck and shoulders with chestnut; $ with purplish
chestnut instead of black; L. 14; W. 5; T. If; B. If.
U. S., rather rare.

FAMILY LVII. — TANTALISE.

(The Ibises.)

Stork -like birds, usually of large size, with the head
more or less bare of feathers when adult; neck and legs
long; body small. Wings large and rounded. Tail
very short. Tibia bare for some distance; toes 4; hind
toe lengthened and low down. Genera four; species
fifteen; swamps and lakes of warm regions. Sexes alike.
Allied to the Storks (Ciconudce) of the Old World.

* Tarsus reticulate ; bill very stout, tapering, decurved.

TANTALUS, 1.

** Tarsus scutellate in front; bill grooved, curved (curlew-like.)

IBIS, 2.

/. TANTALUS, Linnaeus. WOOD IBISES.
1. T. /ocu/afor, L. WOOD IBIS. White; quills, tail
and primary coverts black; bare part of head and neck

134 BIRDS.

bluish; L. 48; W. 20; B. 9. Southern States, N. to
Ohio and Colorado.

2. IBIS, Mdhring. IBISES.
* Claws curved. (Ibis.)

1. /. alba, (L.) V. WHITE IBIS. Pure white, wings
with black; L. 24; W. 11; T. 4; B. 7. Southern States,
N. to L. I.

** Claws nearly straight. (Falcinelhis.)

2. /. falcinellus var. ordii, (Bon.) Allen. GLOSSY IBIS.
Rich dark chestnut, with greenish and purplish on head;
L. 24; W. 11; T. 4; B. 4£. S. States, N. to N. England.

OEDEE O.-ALECTOEIDES.

(The Cranes and Mails.)

Tibia naked below; neck, legs and feet much as in
Herodiones, except that the hind toe is small and ele-
vated, and provided with a small claw. Bill various,
usually lengthened; head fully feathered or else exten-
sively bald. Body more or less compressed. Wings
short, rounded, concave. Tail very short and small; size
various.

FAMILY LVIIL — GRUID^E.

(The Cranes)

Very large birds with the head and neck extremely
long. Wings large. Tail short. Head more or less
naked, with scattered hair -like feathers. Plumage
mostly compact. Bill as long or longer than head,
straight and slender; tibiae extensively naked; tarsus
scutellate; toes rather short; hind toe highly elevated.
Genera three; species fourteen, of various parts of the
world.

BALLIDJE. — LIX. 135

/. GRUS, Linnaeus. CRANES.

1. G. amer/canus, (L.) Ord. WHITE OR WHOOPING
CRANE. Adult pure white with black on wings; bare
part of head very hairy; young grayish, the head
feathered; L. 50; W. 24; T. 9; Ts. 12; B. 6. U. S.,
rather southerly.

2. G. canadensis, (L.) Temm. BROWN OR SAND- HILL
CRANE. Plumbeous gray, never whitening; head
sparsely hairy; smaller. U. S., chiefly S. and W.

FAMILY LIX.— RALLIDJ3.

(TJie Rails.)

Birds of medium or small size, with compressed bodies
and muscular legs. Wings and tail short. Hind toe
short and elevated; front toes very long. Bill various,
rather short. Plumage blended. Sexes alike. Species
about one hundred and fifty, of most parts of the world.
* Forehead feathered ; no frontal plate. (RALLIN^E.)
f Bill decurvecl, longer than head. . . . RALLUS, 1.
ft Bill straight, shorter than head. . . . PORZANA, 2.
** Forehead covered with a broad, horny, frontal plate.
\ Toes scarcely or not lobate. (GALLINTJLIN^E.)
a. Nostrils linear; tarsus less than 2. . GALLINTJLA, 3.
aa. Nostrils nearly circular; tarsus about 2. PORPHYRIO, 2.
tj: Toes lobate, edged with broad flaps. (FULICIN^E.) FULICA, 5.

/. RALLUS, Linnaeus. RAILS.

1. R. longirostris, Bodd. CLAPPER RAIL. SALT-
WATER MARSH HEN. Olive brown, variegated with
ashy; dull reddish brown below; L. 14 to 16; W. 6; T.
2^; B. 2^; $ smaller. Salt marshes; rather southerly.

2. R. elegans, Aud. KING RAIL. FRESH -WATER
MARSH HEN. Brownish black, with chestnut below

136 BIRDS.

and on wing coverts; much brighter colored than the
last, and rather larger. U. S., fresh-water marshes.

3. R. virginianus, L. VIRGINIA RAIL. Colors exactly
as in It. elegans; much smaller; L. 10; W. 4; T. 1J; B.
1J. U. S., frequent.

2. PORZANA, Vieillot. LITTLE RAILS.

1. P. Carolina, (L.) V. CAROLINA RAIL. SORA. "OR-
TOLAN." Olive -brown, variegated; face and middle
line of throat black; breast slaty gray; back streaked;
belly barred; L. 9; W. 44; T. 2. U. S., not rare.

2. P. noveboracensis, (Gm.) Cass. YELLOW RAIL.
Variegated above; L. 6; W. 3£; T. 1£. E. U. S., not
common.

3. P. jamaicensis, (Gm.) Cass. BLACK RAIL. Blackish;
L. 54. S. Arn., etc., rarely in U. S.

3. GALLINULA, Brisson. GALLINULES.

1. G. galeata, (Licht.) Bon. FLORIDA GALLINULE.
Brownish olive above, grayish black on head and below;
bill, frontal plate and ring around tibia red; L. 15; W.
74; T. 3£; Ts. 2. S. States, straying northward. (Mani-
towoc, Wis. Jordan.)

4. PORPHYRIO, Temminck. PURPLE GALLINULES.

1. P. martinica, (L.) Temm. PURPLE GALLINULES.
Olive green; head and below purplish blue; crissum
white; bill mostly red; L. 12; W. 7; T. 3. S. States,
N. to Maine.

5. FULICA, Linnaeus. COOTS.

1. F. americana, Gm. COOT. MUD HEN. Dark slate
color or sooty; bill brownish; L. 14; W. 8; T. 2. U. S.,
abundant in reedy swamps; swims well.

ANATID^E. — LX. 137

OEDEE P.-LAMELLIEOSTEES.

(The Anserine Birds)

Bill lamellate, i. e., furnished along each cutting edge
with a regular series of tooth-like processes, which cor-
respond to certain laciniate processes of the fleshy tongue,
which ends in a horny tip; bill large, thick, high at base,
depressed towards the end, membranous except at the
obtuse tip which is occupied by a horny nail; no gular
pouch. Head high, compressed, with sloping forehead;
eyes small. Feet 4-toed (excepting some Flamingoes),
palmate ; hind toe small, elevated ; tibia feathered in
Anatidce, bare below in the Flamingoes. Wings strong,
short. Legs short (except in Phcenicopteridm, where
excessively elongated) ; precocial ; swimming birds. An
important and familiar order, comprising nearly all the
" Water Fowl " which are valued in domestication or as
game birds. There are two families, Phoenicopteridce
the Flamingoes, and the following:

FAMILY LX. — ANATIDJE

(The Ducks.)

Characters of bill, etc., as given above. Body heavy,
flattened beneath. Head large; eyes small. Tail
various, usually short, of 14 to 16 feathers, the lower
coverts being long and full. Feet short, anterior toes
full -webbed. Sexes usually quite unlike (excepting
among the Swans and Geese.) Species one hundred and
seventy -five, of all parts of the world; migratory. The
sub - families are indicated below.
* Lores naked ; adult entirely white ; large birds ; Swans. (CvG-

NIN^E.) CYGNUS, 1.

** Lores feathered; tarsus entirely reticulate ; Geese. (ANSERINE.)

a. Bill and legs not black ; colors white, bluish, etc. ANSER, 2.

138 BIRDS.

aa. Bill and legs "black ; neck black. . . BRANTA, 3.
*** Lores feathered ; tarsus scutellate in front ; Ducks.
f Bill depressed ; the lamellae simple, bluntish.
^ Hind toe simple, not bordered by membrane. " River

Ducks." (ANATIN^E.)

&. Head crested ; tip of bill formed entirely by the. nail ;

colors brilliant in $. . . . . Arx, 11.

&&. Bill very much widened towards the tip ; speculum

green SPATULA, 10.

&&&. Head not crested ; bill not much widened towards tip.
c. Tail wedge-shaped, at least f length of wing.

$ of DAFILA, 5.

cc. Tail less than half length of wing.
d. Bill shorter than head.

e. Crown streaked ; tail feathers acute. DAFILA, 5.
ee. Crown creamy or white ; speculum green.

MARECA, 7.

dd. Bill about as long as head ; speculum white ; wing
coverts chestnut. . . CHAULELASMUS, 6.
ddd. Bill a little longer than head.
/. Speculum violet, bordered with black and white.

ANAS, 4.
ff. Speculum green.

g. Wing coverts sky blue ; head of $ plumbeous or

purplish. . . . QUERQTJEDULA, 8.

gg. Wing without blue ; head of $ chestnut, with

green band ; almost crested. . NETTION, 9.

JJ Hind toe lobed (bordered by membrane.) " Sea Ducks."

(FULIGTJLIISLE.)

h. Cheeks bristly ; colors black and white (or gray.)

CAMPTOI^EMTJS, 16.

Till. Tail pointed, longer than wings (in adult) ; bill black
and orange HARELDA, 15.

JMi. Tail rounded ; the feathers stiff, narrow, exposed nearly
to their bases, the upper coverts being very short.

ERISMATURA, 20.

ANATID^E.— LX. 139

TMih. Ducks with none of the above peculiarities.

i. Upper mandible gibbous at its unfeathered base ; black

or brown (EDEMIA, 19.

ii. Upper mandible not gibbous where unfeathered.
j. Nail at tip of bill narrow and distinct.

k. Head black or brown; nostrils sub -basal; bill
longer than tarsus. . . . FULJX, 12.
kk. Head reddish or brownish, without white ; nos-
trils nearly median ; bill longer than tarsus.

AYTHYA, 13.

Jckk. Head black or gray, with white ; nostrils nearly
median ; bill about as long as tarsus.

BUCEPHALA, 14.

jj. Kail broad, scarcely distinct.

I. Feathers extending on culmen and partly on sides

of upper mandible. . . SOMATERIA, 18.

II. Feathers not extending on culmen ; bill small,

much tapering. . . HISTBIONICUS, 17.

f f Bill narrow, nearly cylindrical ; the lamellae acute, recurved,

like saw-teeth ; usually crested. Fish Ducks. (MERGING.)

m. Bill not black ; tarsus more than half the length of middle

toe MERGUS, 21.

mm. Bill black ; tarsus half length of middle toe.

LOPHODYTES, 22.

/. CYGNUS, Linnaeus. SWANS.
> Olor, Wagler.

1. C. buccinator, Rich. TRUMPETER SWAN. Tail
(normally) 24 feathered ; bill without yellow spot, longer
than head; nostrils sub -basal; L. about 50. Miss.
Valley, W. and N.

2. C. columbianus, (Ord.) Coues. WHISTLING SWAN.
Tail 20 feathered; bill with a yellow spot, not longer
than head; nostrils median; L, 50. N. Am. (C.ameri-
canus, Sharpless.)

140 BIRDS.

2. ANSER, Linnaeus. GEESE.

1. A. albifrons, Gm., var. gambeli, (Hartl.) Coues.
WHITE - FRONTED GOOSE. SPECKLE - BILL. White or
gray, blotched with black; back dark; head and neck
grayish brown; forehead white ^in adult; claws pale;
lamellae usual; L. 27; W. 17; T. 6; Ts. 3. N. Am.

2. A. c&ru/escens, L. BLUE GOOSE. Size and form of
next, but plumage ashy, varied with dark brown. N.
Am., rather rare.

3. A. hyperboreus, Pallas. SNOW GOOSE. Adult pure
white or washed with reddish; wings with black; claws
dark; young bluish; lamellae very prominent; L. 30; W.
19; T. 6i; B. 2£.

3. BRANTA, Scopoli. BRANT GEESE.
= JZermcla, most authors.

1. B. bernicla, (L.) BRANT GOOSE. Head, neck, front,
quills, and tail, black; white patch on neck; white on
rump, crissum, etc.; back brownish gray; L. 24; W.
13; T. 5; B. 1£. Northern States; in winter to Carolina.

2. B. canadensis, (L.) WILD GOOSE. CANADA GOOSE.
Grayish brown, paler below; head and neck black;
white throat patch, extending on sides of head; tail
black; upper coverts white; L. 36; W. 20; T. 7£; B. 2.
N. Am., abundant; U. S. in winter.

4. ANAS, Linnaeus. DUCKS.

1. A. boschas, L. MALLARD DUCK. TAME DUCK. $
head and upper neck rich glossy green, a white ring
below; breast purplish chestnut; speculum violet; wing
coverts tipped with black and white; $ duller, chiefly
dull ochraceous, streaked with dark brown; L. 24; W.
12. Am., abundant; commonest westward. Original

ANATIDJE. — LX. 141

of the common Domestic Duck; various hybrids of this
species with others are described.

2. A. obscura, Gm. BLACK DUCK. Size of mallard
and resembling the $, but darker; no decided white
except under the wings. E. U. S., common.

5. DAFILA, Leach. PINTAIL DUCKS.
1. D. acuta, (L.) Jenyns. PIN -TAIL. SPRIG -TAIL.
$ dark brown with purplish gloss; sides of neck with
long white stripes; tail cuneate when developed, central
feathers much projecting; $ speckled and streaked; tail
shorter; L. 24; W. 11; T. 9 or less. N. Am.

6. CHAULELASMUS, Gray. GADWALLS.

1. C. streperus, (L.) Gray. GAD WALL. $ barred, black
and white, wing coverts chestnut, greater coverts black,
speculum white; $ with similar markings; L. 22; W. 11.
N. Am.

7. MARECA, Stephens. WIDGEONS.

1. M. penelope, (L.) Bon. EUROPEAN WIDGEON.
Head and neck reddish brown; top of head brownish
white; sides of head with green traces; L. 22; W. 11;
T. 5. Europe; accidental in America, Wis. (Kumlien)
and Atlantic Coast.

2. M. americana, (Gm.) Steph. AMERICAN WIDGEON.
BALDPATE. Head and neck grayish, speckled ; colors
more emphatic; sides of head with"""bright green patch.
N. Am., abundant.

8 QUERQUEDULA, Stephens. BLUE WINGED TEALS.

1. Q. discors, (L.) Steph. BLUE WINGED TEAL. $
head and neck blackish plumbeous, darkest on the
crown; a white crescent in front of eye; under parts

142 BIRDS.

thickly spotted; ? quite different, known by the wings;
L. 16; W. 7; T. 3. E. U. S., to Rocky Mts.

9. NETTION, Kaup. GREEN -WINGED TEALS.

1. N. carolinensis, (Gm.) Kaup. GREEN -WINGED
TEAL. A white crescent on sides in front of wings;
shoulders plain; L. 15; W. 7£; T. 3£. N. America,
common.

10. SPATULA, Boie. SHOVELLERS.

1. S. clypeata, (L.) Boie. SHOVELLER. SPOON-BILL
DUCK. $ head and neck green; wing coverts blue;
speculum green; $ with similar bill and wings; L. 20;
W. 9£; B. 2f. N. Am.

//. AIX, Swainson. WOOD DUCKS.
1. A. sponsa, (L.) Boie. WOOD DUCK. SUMMER
DUCK. Crested ; $ head iridescent green and purple,
with white stripes and a forked white throat patch;
breast rich brownish; ? duller, head mostly gray; L. 20;
W. 9£; T. 5. U. S. frequent; nesting in trees.

12. FULIX, Sundevall. FLOCKING - FOWL.
< Fuligula, Authors.

1. F. marila, (L.) Baird. BIG SCAUP DUCK. BLUE
BILL. RAFT DUCK. Speculum white; no ring about
neck; back and sides whitish, finely waved with black; $
face white; markings less distinct; L. 20; W. 9. N.
Am. ^

2. F. affin/s, (Eyton) Baird. LESSER SCAUP DUCK.
Similar, but smaller; L. 16; W. 8. N. Am., rather
southerly.

3. F. collaris, (Donovan) Baird. RING-NECKED DUCK.
Speculum gray; an orange brown collar about neck; ?
without collar; L. 18; W. 8£. N. Am.

ANATID.E. — LX. 143

13. AYTHYA, Boie. CANVAS-BACK DUCKS.

1. A. ferina (L.) var. americana, (Eyton) Allen. RED
HEAD. POCHARD. $ head and neck chestnut with red
reflections; back mixed silvery and black; the dark
waved lines unbroken; $ duller; bill shorter than head,
two or less, bluish, the nail dark; L. 20; W. 10. N. Am.,
abundant.

2. A. va//isner/a, (Wilson) Boie. CANVAS - BACK DUCK.
Head more dusky; black wavy lines on back broken, the
whitish predominating; bill as long as head, 2% or more,
dusky. N. Am.; especially coastwise in winter.

4. BUCEPHALA,Bsiird. GOLDEN -EYES.
Clangula, Authors.

1. B. clangula, (L.) Gray. GOLDEN -EYE. GARROT.
$ head puffy, glossy green with some white; upper parts
black; white continuous on outer surface of wing; $
head duller, snuff- colored and scarcely puffy; L. 16 to
19; W. 8 to 9. N. Am. and Europe.

2. B. islandica, (Gm.) Baird. BARROW'S GOLDEN-EYE.
Similar; .gloss of head purplish; white of wing divided
by dark bar; more white on head; larger. N. U. S. and
N.; rare.

3. B. albeola, (L.) Baird. DIPPER. BUFFLE-HEAD.
BUTTER- BALL. SPIRIT DUCK. $ with head very puffy
and iridescent; a large white ear patch; L. 16; W. 7; ?
small, dark gray ; head scarcely puffy. N. Am.,
abundant.

15. HARELDA, Leach. LONG - TAILED DUCKS.

1. H. glacial is, (L.) Leach. SOUTH - SOUTHERLY. OLD
WIFE. LONG -TAILED DUCK. Reddish brown, nearly
white in winter; tail very long; $ quite different, no

144 BIRDS.

white on wing; L. 20; W. 9; T. 8, or less. N. Am.
and Europe; chiefly northern and coastwise.

16. CAMPTOLSEMUS, Gray. PIED DUCKS.
1. C. labradorius, (Gm.) Gray. LABRADOR DUCK.
$ chiefly black and white; $ plumbeous; L. 24; W. 9.
Coast, chiefly northern; scarce.

17. HISTRIONICUS, Lesson. HARLEQUIN DUCKS.
1. H. torquatus, (L.) Bon. HARLEQUIN DUCK. $ leaden
bluish, much varied; speculum violet and purple; $ dark
brown, etc. Atlantic Coast, Am. and Europe.

18. SOMATERIA, Leach. EIDER DUCKS.

1. S. mollissima, (L.) Leach. EIDER DUCK. $ in
breeding dress, white; under parts, rump, quills, and
crown patch black; $ reddish brown, streaked; bill with
long, club-shaped, frontal processes extending in line
with culmen; L. 24; W. 12. Arctic regions; S. to New
England in winter. (8. dresseri, Sharpe.)

2. S. spectabilis, (L.) Leach. KING EIDER. $ chiefly
black; front parts, etc., white; frontal processes broad,
squarish, out of line of culmen; slightly smaller. Nor-
thern regions; S. to N. Y.

19. (EDEMIA, Fleming. SURF DUCKS.

* Bill not encroached upon by frontal feathers; tail 16-feathered ;
no white on wings. (CEdemia.)

1. (E. americana, Sw. AMERICAN BLACK SCOTER. $
entirely black; $ sooty brown, paler below and on throat;
L. 18 to 24; W. 10. N. Am., all coasts.

** Bill broadly encroached upon by frontal feathers; a large
white wing patch. (Melanetta.)

2. (E. fusca, (L.) Sw. VELVET SCOTER. WHITE

ANATID.E. — LX. 145

WINGED SURF DUCK. $ black; white spot under eye;
$ sooty brown, rather larger. Shores of Europe and N.
Am.

*** Bill narrowly encroached upon by frontal feathers; no white
on wings; tail 14-feathered. (Pelionetta)

3. (E. perspicillata, (L.) Fleming. SURF DUCK. SEA
COOT. $ black, with white spot on forehead and nape;
? sooty brown; white patch on lores and cheeks; size of
first. Coasts.

20. ERISMATURA, Bonaparte. STIFF TAILED DUCKS.

1. E. rubida, (Wils.) Bon. RUDDY DUCK. Chiefly
brownish or tawny (reddish in perfect plumage), con-
siderably waved and dotted; crissum white; L. 17; W. 6.
N. Am., frequent.

2. E. dominica, (L.) Eyton. SAN DOMINGO DUCK.
Smaller and redder; forehead and chin black; L. 13^;
W. 0^. S. America and W. Indies; accidental N. (Wis.,
Kumlien, L. Champlain, Cabot.)

21. MERGUS, Linnaeus. MERGANSERS.

1. M. merganser, L. MERGANSER. GOOSANDER. FISH
DUCK. $ black and white above, salmon-colored below;
head glossy green, scarcely crested; $ smaller, ashy gray;
head brownish; nostrils median; L. 24; W. 11. N. Am.,
common.

2. M. serrator, L. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. FISH
DUCK. . Similar, but smaller and more crested; $ with
throat reddish brown, black-streaked; wing with two
black bars, instead of one as in last; nostrils sub-basal;
L. 20; W. 9. N. Am., abundant.

22. LOPHODYTES, Reichenbach. CRESTED DIVERS.
1. L cucullatus, (L.) Reich. HOODED MERGANSER.
7

146 BIRDS.

SHELDRAKE. Black and white; sides chestnut in <3; $
duller and grayish; crest high and compressed; nostrils
sub-basal; L. 19; W. 8. N. Am., common.

OEDEE Q.-STEGANOPODES.

(TJie Totipalmate Birds)

Feet totipalmate; hind toe lengthened, scarcely ele-
vated, united by a web to the other toes; tibia? feathered
Bill various, horny, never lamellate, cutting edges often
serrate; nostrils very small or abortive; a prominent,
naked, gular pouch; tarsus reticulate; altricial.

We here omit the families Sulidce (Gannets) and
Tachypetidce (Frigate Birds) as they are exclusively
marine. One species of the Southern family Plotiilw,
(the Darters) Plotus anliinga, L., the Snake Bird or
Water Turkey of the Southern swamps, sometimes comes
up the Miss. R. to S. Ills.

FAMILY LXL— PELECANID^E.

(The Pelicans.)

Large fish -eating birds, with very long bills which
end in a claw -like hook; the broad space between the
branches of the lower jaw occupied by a huge membran-
ous sack; nostrils abortive; wings very long; tail very
short; gregarious; sexes alike. Genus one; species six;
found in most warm regions.

/. PELECANUS, Linnaeus. PELICANS.

1. P. trachyrhynchus, Lath. WHITE PELICAN. Chiefly
white, some black and yellowish; L. 60; W. 24; B. 12.
N. Am., abundant S. and W., often inland.

PHALACKOCORACID^E. — LXII. 147

FAMILY LXII. — PHALACROCORACID^E.

(The Cormorants.}

Bill about as long as head, nearly terete, strongly
hooked, the cutting edges uneven; gular pouch small.
Wings short. Tail very large, almost scansorial, of very
stiff feathers, often used with the aid of the legs, which
are set far back, as a support for the body; a nasal
groove but nostrils abortive. Colors in both sexes
lustrous, iridescent black; in the breeding season usually
with long, white, filamentous plumes; many species
crested. Genus one; species twenty -five; of most
regions.

/. GRACULUS, Linnaeus. CORMORANTS.
2. G. dilophus, (Sw.) Gray. DOUBLE - CRESTED COR-
MORANT. Glossy greenish black ; back and wing coverts
coppery gray; adult with two curly black lateral crests;
sac convex or straight - edged behind, orange; L. 33; W.
13; T. 7; tail of 12 feathers. N. Am.; our commonest
species.

2. G. mexicanus, (Brandt) Bon. MEXICAN CORMOR-
ANT. Gular sac orange, white-edged; L. 24. S. W., N.
to Ills.

3. G. carbo, (L.) Gray. NORTHERN CORMORANT. Tail
of 14 feathers; sac heart-shaped behind; L. 36. North-
ern and coastwise.

OEDEE E.

(The Long -Winged Swimmers.)'

Feet palmate; tibiae feathered; legs near center of
equilibrium; hind toe elevated, small, often wanting.
Bill usually long, horny, not serrate nor lamellate; nos-

148 BIRDS.

trils developed; no gular pouch. ^\rings very long and
pointed. Tail well developed; altricial; powers of flight
remarkable; food chiefly fishes. There are two families,
LaridcB, below described, and frocellciridcBj the Petrels,
which we here omit, all our numerous representatives
being strictly maritime.

FAMILY LXITL — LARID^E.

(The Gulls.)

Long- winged birds, with the nostrils not tubular;
bill various. Hind toe small and elevated, but less so
than in the Petrels. General color usually white, with
a darker mantle of a pearly bluish tint, and commonly
with some black markings. Sexes alike in color, but the
plumage varying much with age and season. Genera
about twelve (Coues), sixty (European authors); species
ninety; abounding about all large bodies of water. Of
the genera admitted below, Pagophila^ Rissa, and
C kroecocephahis may properly be considered as sections
of Lams, while Gelochelidon and Thalasseus are perhaps
sub -genera under Sterna.
* Bill hooked (epignathous) — rarely not hooked, and the tail even.

f Bill with a sort of cere ; middle tail feathers exserted ; Jasgers.
(LESTRIDIN^E.) .... STERCORARIUS, 1.

f f Bill not cerecl ; general color usually white with a darker
mantle. Gulls.

a. Hind toe rudimentary, without a developed claw. RISSA, 3.
an. Hind toe perfect, provided with a claw.
b. Tail even.
c. Tarsus black, rough ; webs incised ; plumage white.

PAGOPHILA, 4

cc. Tarsus not black ; lower plumage white in adult.
d. Head white — if dark below, head not whitish (spe-
cies of large size ; never rosy-tinted below ; the
head never with a dark hood.) . LARUS, 2.

— LXIII. 149

dd. Head dark— if dark below, head whitish (small or

slender species, with a black hood in the breeding

season, and the white under parts then pinkish or

rosy-tinted.) . . . CIHWECOCEPHALUS, 5.

bb. Tail forked ; bill black, yellow-tipped. . XEMA, 6.

** Bill paragnathous (mandibles even) ; tail forked (in our species) ;

Terns. (STEKNIN^E.)

e. Toes full-webbed ; colors chiefly white, with a black cap at
most seasons and the quills silvery dusky, with a long
white stripe.
/. Feet black ; forehead without white crescent.

g. Not crested; bill stout, scarcely longer than tarsus.

GELOCHELIDON, 7.
gg. Crested ; bill slender, much longer than tarsus.

THALASSEUS, 8.
ff. Feet not black ; back pale, no crest. . . STERNA, 9.

ee. Toes not full-webbed ; color quite dark.

HYDROCHELIDON, 10.

*** Bill hypognathous — the lower mandible much the longer,
compressed like a knife-blade. Skimmers. (RHYNCHOPIN^E.)

RHYNCIIOPS, 11.

/. STERCORARIUS, Brisson. JJSGERS.

= LestriS) Authors.

1. S. pomaforhinus, (Temm.) Lawr. POMARINE
JAEGER. Chiefly blackish, colors varying with age;
middle tail feathers broad to the tip, projecting about
four inches; L. 20; W. 15. Northern, U. S. in winter.

2. S. parasiticus, (Brunn.) Gray. PARASITIC JAEGER.
General color dark brown; middle tail feathers acuminate,
projecting 4 inches; L. 18; W. 13. Northern, U. S. in
winter.

3. S. buffoni, (Boie.) Coues. LONG TAILED JAEGER.
Similar, but still smaller; tail feathers filamentous, pro-
jecting 8 or 10 inches. Northern, U. S. in winter.

150 BIRDS.

2. LARUS, Linnaeus. GULLS.
* Primaries without any black.

1. L. glaucuSj Briinn. GLAUCOUS GULL. ICE GULL.
BURGOMASTER. Bill yellow with red spot on lower
mandible; large; L. 30; W. 18. Arctic regions; S. in
winter.

2. L /eucopterus, Faber. WHITE -"WINGED GULL.
Similar but smaller; L. 23; W. 17. Same region.

** Primaries crossed with black (adult), or all black (young).

3. L marinus, L. GREAT BLACK -BACKED GULL.
COFFIN-CARRIER. SADDLE-BACK. Mantle blackish slate
color; largest of our Gulls; L. 30 or more; W. 18; feet
flesh colored. N. Atlantic, S. in winter.

4. L. argentatus, Brunn. HERRING GULL. COMMON
GULL. Mantle grayish blue ; large, 22 to 27 ; W. 1 8 or
less; feet flesh colored. N. Am., abundant.

5. L. de/awarensis, Ord. RING-BILLED GULL. Plum-
age like preceding; feet olivaceous; webs yellow; bill
yellowish, a black band at the tip; size moderate; L.
20; W. 15. N. Am., abundant.

3. RISSA, Leach. KITTIWAKES.

1. R. tridaciyla, (L.) Bon. KITTIWAKE GULL. Mantle
dark grayish blue; hind claw a minute knob; L. 16 to
18; W. 12. Northern, U. S. in winter.

3. PAGOPHILA, Kaup. IVORY GULLS.
1. P. eburnea, (Gm.) Kaup. IVORY GULLS. Adults
pure white; young spotted; L. 16 to 20; W. 12. North-
ern, rarely to U. S. in winter.

5. CHRtECOCEPHALUS, Eyton. ROSY GULLS.
1. C. airicilla, (L.) Lawr. BLACK -HEADED OR LAUGH-
ING GULL. Tarsus J longer than middle toe and claw;

. — LXIII. 151

large; bill and feet dusky carmine; L. 16 to 19; W. 12
to 13. U. S., coastwise.

2. C. franklini, (Rich.) Bruch. FRANKLIN'S ROSY
GULL. Tarsus about as long as middle toe and claw;
bill and feet carmine; bill usually with a black mark;
medium; L. 14 to 16; W. 11. U. S., chiefly W. of the
Miss. R.

3. C. Philadelphia, (Ord.) Lawr. BONAPARTE'S GULL.
Tarsus about as long as middle toe and claw; bill dark
or black, slender, tern -like; small; L. 12 to 14; W. 10.
N. Am., abundant.

6. XEMA, Leach. FORK - TAILED GULLS.

1. X. sabinei, (Sab.) Leach. FORKED -TAIL GULL.
Chiefly white, a black hood and collar; L. 14; W. 11.
Northern, S. in winter to N. Y.

7. GELOCHELIDOH, Brehm. GULL -BILLED TERNS.

1. G. anglica., (Montagu.) Bon. MARSH TERN. Bill
black, very short and stout; L. 15; W. 12. E. U. S.,
not abundant.

8. THALASSEUS, Boie. CRESTED TERNS.

1. T. caspius, (Pallas.) Boie. CASPIAN TERN. Pri-
maries without white band; bill red; much the largest
of the Terns; L. 20 or more; W. 17; T. 6, not much
forked. Northern, S. in winter; scarce.

2. T. regius, Gamb. ROYAL TERN. Bill orange; L.
18 or 20; W. 15; T. 8, deeply forked; much smaller than
the last but nearly as long. Atlantic Coast.

3. T. canfiacus, (Gm.) Boie. SANDWICH TERN. Bill
black, yellow at tip; L. 16; W. 12£; T. 6. Europe and
Am.; rare on our coast.

152 BIRDS.

9. STERNA, Linnaeus, COMMON TERNS.

1. S. hirundo, Auct. COMMON TERN. SEA SWALLOW.
WILSON'S TERN. Bill red, blackening towards tip; tail
mostly white; outer web of outer feather darker than
inner; L. 14J (13 to* 16); W. 10 (9J to 11|); T. 6 (5 to
7.) Coasts of Europe and America; abundant. ($.
wilsoni) Lawr.)

2. S. forster/, Nuttall. FORSTER'S TERN. Larger;
tail longer and wings shorter; inner web of outer tail
feather darker; W. 9£ to 10£; T. 6J to 8. N. Am.,
common.

3. S. macrura, Naumann. ARCTIC TERN. Bill carmine
throughout; plumage as in hirundo, but darker below;
L. 14 to 17; W. 10 to 12; T. 5 to 8; smaller than
hirundo, but tail proportionally much longer. Northern
regions, S. to U. S.

4. S. paradisea, Auct. ROSEATE TERN. Bill black,
usually orange at base below; mantle very pale; some-
what rosy -tinted below; L. 12 to 16; W. 9 to 10; T. 5
to 8. Atlantic Coast, abundant. (S. doucjalli, Mont.)

5. S. portlandica, Ridgway. PORTLAND TERN. Near
the preceding, but mantle as in hirundo j the rump
white instead of pearly; feet blackish; under parts pure
white; L. 12£; W. 9f ; T. 5 or more. Lately discovered
in Maine and Mass.; but two specimens known.

6. S. superciliaris, (Vieill.) var. antlllarum, (Lesson)
Coues. LEAST TERN. Bill yellow, usually tipped with
black; a white frontal crescent between cap and bill;
shafts of two or more outer primaries black above; very
small; L. 8 or 9; W. 6J; T. 2 to 3£. U. S., chiefly
abundant coastwise.

. — LXHt 153

10. HYDROCHELIDON, Bole. BLACK

1. H. lariformis, (L.) Cones. BLACK TERN. Head,
iieck and under parts black (in full plumage); wings
and tail above plumbeous like the back; crissum white;
small; L. 10; W. 8 to 9; T. 3£. N. Am., chiefly inland.
\H. fissipes, (L.) Gray.]

2. H. nigra, (L.) Gray. WHITE -WINGED BLACK TERN.
Wings whitening along border of fore -arm; tail and
upper tail coverts white. Straggler from Europe, a
single specimen lately taken on Lake Koshkonong.
(Ludovic Kumlien.) [H. leucoptera, (Meisn.) Boie.]

//. RHYNCHOPS, Linmeus. SKIMMERS.
1. R. nigra, L. BLACK SWIMMER. CUTWATER. Glossy
black; white below; lower mandible about an inch
longest, compressed like a knife -blade, obtuse at end;
L. 16 to 20; W. 15; T. 5, sharply forked. Coast,
abundant southward.

OEDEE S.-PTGOPODES.

(The Diving Birds.)

Feet palmate or lobate; tibiag feathered, buried in the
skin nearly to the heel joint, hence the legs are set very
far back, and the birds are scarcely able to walk at all
on land; hind toe small, elevated, often wanting. Nos-
trils developed; bill of various forms, horny, not lamellate
nor serrate ; no gular. pouch. Wings very short, scarcely
reaching the base of the very small or rudimentary tail.
Swimmers, many of them noted for their powers of div-
ing. We here omit the three - toed family of ALCID^E,
the Auks, they being strictly maritime and mostly
northern. The twenty -one known species all occur in
America.

154 BlftDS.

FAMILY LX1V.— COLYMBID^.

(The Loons.}

Bill long, strong, tapering, acute, wholly hard; nostrils
linear. Head densely and evenly feathered, without rufi's
or naked spaces; eye large. Feet 4-toed, palmate; tar-
sus reticulate, strongly compressed. Wings comparatively
long and strong. Tail short, but well developed. Back
of adult with small spots; precocial. Genus one; species
three. Birds of large size, with strong powers of flight,
and pre-eminent in swimming and diving, but scarcely
able to walk; they are migratory, breeding northward,
but coming S. in winter; the voice is singularly sharp
and wild.

/. COLYMBUS, Linnaeus. LOONS.

= Eudytes, Illiger.

1. C. torquatus, Brlinn. GREAT NORTHERN LOON.
DIVER. Black; breast and below chiefly white; head
and neck iridescent, green and violet; a patch of white
streaks on each side of neck and on the throat; back
with many white spots; L. 36; W. 14; Ts. 3; B. 3,
Northern Hemisphere; whole U. S. in winter. (C.
glacialis, L.)

2. C. arcticus, L. BLACK - THROATED DIVER. Similar,
but head and neck behind bluish or hoary gray; fore-
neck purplish black, with a crescent of white streaks;
L. 28; W. 12; B. 2£. Northern hemisphere, not
common in U. S.

3. C. septenfriona/is, L. RED -THROATED DIVER.
Blackish, chiefly white below; head and neck mostly
bluish gray; throat with a large chestnut patch; L. 27;
W. 11; B. 2. Northern hemisphere.

155

FAMILY LXV. — PODICIPID^.

(The Grebes.)

Bill usually slender, rarely stoutish; lores naked;
head often with crests, ruffs or ear tufts in the breeding
season. Back not spotted; under plumage lustrous,
mostly white. Wings very short. Tail rudimentary.
Feet four -toed, lobate, the toes webbed at base; toes
flattened, provided with flat claws resembling human
nails ; tarsus scutellate, compressed. Genera two ;
species about twenty; in all parts of the world, chiefly
about fresh waters.

* Bill slender, straight, rather acute ; loral strip narrow ; head in
breeding season with conspicuous crests or ruff.

PODICEPS, 1.

** Bill stout, somewhat hooked ; loral strip broad ; no ruff nor
crest ........ PODILYMBUS, 2.

/. PODICEPS, Latham. CRESTED GEEBES.
= Colymbus, Illiger.

1. P. cr/status, (L.) Lath. CRESTED GREBE. Upper
parts generally dark brown; crest black; throat and
sides of head white, becoming reddish on the ruff ; pri-
maries brown; secondaries mostly white; silky white
below, not mottled; L. 24; W. 8£; B. 2. Northern
hemisphere; U. S. in winter.

2. P. holbolli, Reinhardt. RED-NECKED GREBE. Upper
parts brown; front and sides of neck rich brownish red;
throat and sides of head ashy; crests and ruffs not large;
below silvery ash, spotted or mottled; L. 18; W. 8; B.
If. N. Am., U. S. in winter.

3. P. cornutus, (Gm.) Lath. HORNED GREBE. Dark
brown; head glossy black; a brownish yellow band over
eye and behind; fore-neck and breast brownish red; bill

156 BIBBS.

compressed, black, tipped with yellow; crests and ruffs
very large; L. 14; W. 6; B. 3f. Northern hemisphere,
^abundant.

4. P. aurifus, (L.) var. californicus, (Heerfn.) Coues.
EARED GREBE. Crest in the form of ear tufts; front of
neck black; bill depressed; L. 12. Western, E. to Ills.

2. PODILYMBUS, Lesson. DAB- CHICK.
1. P. podiceps, (L.) Lawr. DIEDAPPER. HELL-DIVER.
WATER WITCH. PIED - BILLED GREBE. Chiefly brown -
ish gray; silvery ash below; bill bluish, with dark band;
young and winter plumage different, but the bird
resembles nothing else; L. 14; W. 5; B. 1. Whole of
America, abundant. (Podiceps carolimnsis, Lath.)

167

(The Reptiles.)

A Reptile is a cold - blooded, air - breathing vertebrate,
having the exoskeleton developed as horny or bony
plates, never as feathers or hair. Limbs, when present,
usually adapted for walking, rarely for swimming,
scarcely ever for flying. An incomplete double circula-
tion, the ventricular septum being usually imperfect or
wanting; no metamorphosis; oviparous, rarely ovovi-
viparous, the eggs relatively large and usually with a
leathery skin. Various important anatomical distinc-
tions exist, but the Reptiles > are obviously separated
from the Birds by the absence of feathers, and from the
Batrachians by the presence of scales, and by the absence
of gills after leaving the egg.

Besides the three following orders, a fourth (CROCO-
DILIA), is represented by two species Alligator mississip-
piensis, Daudin, and Crocodilus americanus, Seba, in our
Southern States.

ORDERS OF REPTILIA.

* Body covered with square imbedded shields ; vent roundish or

longitudinal, plaited ; bones of skull soldered together.
fBody short, depressed, enclosed between two bony shields,
from which the head, limbs and tail may be protruded ;

no teeth * . TESTUDINATA, T.

** Body covered with imbricated scales ; vent a cross-slit ; bones

of skull separate ; jaws with teeth.

| Mouth not dilatable ; bones of mandible united by a bony
suture in front ; limbs 4 — rarely rudimentary .

LACERTILIA, U.

158

# Mouth very dilatable ; bones of mandible united by liga-
ments ; limbs wanting or represented only by short spurs
on the sides of the vent ..... OPHIDIA, V.

T. FAMILIES OF TESTUDINATA.

* Carapace firm, not flexible at the margins, not greatly depressed ;

both shields with well-developed horny plates.

f Toes short, bound together by the integument ; legs and feet

short, club-shaped ; carapace very convex ; plastron cover-

ing nearly all of under surface of body ; caudal shields

united ; claws blunt, 5-4 ; terrestrial. TESTUDINID^E, 66.

ff Toes well developed, spreading, and in aquatic species

webbed ; claws usually 5-4;.

$ Shell highest at about the middle, usually somewhat de-
pressed, the margin flaring outwards; epidermal plates
of the large plastron 12 in number. . EMYDIIXE, 67.
$$ Shell highest behind the middle; margin of carapace
turned rather downward or inward ; plates of plastron
7, 9 or 11 — never 12 ; size small. . CINOSTERNLD^;, 68.
\\\ Shell highest anteriorly; carapace flaring outward, its
margin toothed behind; plastron small, cross-shaped
with 12 plates and three accessory ones on each side ;
jaws powerful, strongly hooked; neck and tail long,
the latter with a crest of tubercles ; size large.

CHELYDRID^E, 69.

** Much depressed ; carapace and plastron covered with a leathery
skin, and flexible at the margins ; no horny plates ; fleshy
lips ; snout prolonged ; toes 5-5, but claws 3-3.

TKIONYCHID^E, 70.

U. FAMILIES OF LACERTILIA.

* Tongue thick, convex, attached at its base to the gullet ; scales

usually more or less spinous. . . . IGUANID^E, 71.
** Tongue flat, elongate, bifid at the end ; scales never spinous.
f Limbs rudimentary, concealed beneath the skin ; sides with
a longitudinal fold ..... ANGUID^E, 72.
f f Limbs four — well developed.

\ Scales of the belly rounded, arranged in quincunx order.

SCINCIIX.E, 74.

BEPTILES. 159

ft Scales of* the belly quadrate, arranged in cross^bands;
throat with two cross-folds. . . . TEUXE, 73.

V. FAMILIES OF OPHIDIA.

* Both jaws fully provided with small teeth; no poison fangs ;
no rattle; no anal appendages; no ante-orbital pit; not
venomous. . . • ... COLUBRID^E, 75.

** Upper jaw with enlarged, erectile poison fangs, otherwise tooth-
less ; a deep pit between eye and nostril ; venomous.

CROTALID^E, 76.

*** Upper jaw with small, permanently erect poison fangs; no
ante -orbital pit; color red, with black rings; somewhat
venomous. ELAPIM:, 75. (b.)

OEDEE T.-TESTUDIXA.TA.

(The Turtles.}

Reptiles with the body enclosed between two more or
less developed bony shields, which are usually covered
by horny epidermal plates, but sometimes (TrionycTiidcz,
Sphargididce) by a leathery skin. The carapace (upper
shield) and plastron (lower shield) are more or less united
along the sides. The neck and the tail are the only
flexible parts of the spinal column, and these, together
with the legs, can usually be retracted within the box
made by the two shields. The bony part of the carapace
is formed by the dorsal and sacral vertebrae, and the ribs
co-ossified with a series of overlying bony plates, usually
accompanied by a marginal row. The dorsal vertebrae
have their ends flattened and immovably united by car-
tilage, and all of them, except the first and last, have
their neural spines flattened horizontally so as to form
the median line of plates. On either side of this series
is a single row of ossified dermal plates overlying the
ribs and corresponding in number to the developed ribs
of which there are usually eight pairs.

160 REPTILES,

No "traces of a true sternum have been discovered
(Huxley). The plastron consists of membrane bones, of
which there are usually nine pieces — four pairs and a
single symmetrical median piece. These correspond
neither in number nor position with the overlying
dermal plates.

The skull is more compact than that of the other Rep-
tiles. There are no teeth, but the jaws are encased in
horny sheaths, usually with sharp cutting edges ; the eye
is furnished with two lids and a nictitating membrane as
in the Birds; the tympanic membrane is always present,
although sometimes hidden by the skin. Respiration is
effected by swallowing air.

The order Testudinata is divided by Prof. Agassiz into
two sub-orders: — AMYD^E, comprising the Land and
Fresh Water Turtles, with retractile feet that may be
used for walking; and CHELONH, the Sea Turtles, with
flipper -like feet used chiefly for swimming. Of the
latter, several species occur on our coast, but we here
omit them.

FAMILY LXVL — TESTUDINID^E.

(The Land Tortoises.)

Carapace strong, thick, ovate, generally very convex
and falling off abruptly at both ends; caudal shields
united into one; plastron very broad, covering the
whole under surface, the anterior part sometimes mov-
able on a transverse hinge. Legs and feet club - shaped;
toes firmly bound together by the integument, only the
blunt claws being exserted.

Herbivorous Turtles, entirely terrestrial, inhabiting the
warmer parts of both continents; about twenty species
are known.

EMYDID^E. — LXVH. 161

/. TESTUDO, Linnaeus. LAND TORTOISES.
> Xerobates, Agassiz.

1. T. Carolina, L. CAROLINA "GOPHER." L. 15. S.
States, N. to N. C.; burrows in the ground like a wood-
chuck.

FAMILY LXVIL — EMYDID^E.
(The Pond Turtles.)

Carapace ovate, broadest behind, the margin having a
tendency to flare outward, highest near the middle,
usually rather depressed, rarely strongly convex; plastron
covering the whole under surface, its plates twelve in
number; sometimes the anterior lobe (and rarely the
posterior also) movable on a transverse hinge, enabling
the animal to completely close the shell. Toes broadly
webbed in the aquatic species; scarcely webbed in the
others. Jaws never hooked and pointed, as in allied
families. They feed largely upon animals, but they
rarely catch active prey. They do not bite except under
much provocation. Species seventy or eighty, widely
distributed, inhabiting marshes, ponds, and the shores of
still streams; a few are strictly terrestrial.

* Carapace short, very high and strongly convex ; plastron united
to the carapace by a more or less cartilaginous suture and
divided by a transverse hinge into two or more movable
pieces ; the anterior one, the smaller ; toes scarcely webbed ;

terrestrial CISTUDO, 1.

** Carapace somewhat elongated, considerably arched ; plastron
immovable ; toes short, with a small web ; feet more nearly
equal, and habits less aquatic than in the succeeding groups ;
species of small size.

a. Shell more or less carinated, without round spots; upper jaw

deeply notched and arched downward. . CHELOPUS, 2.

aa. Shell not carinated, black, usually with round, yellowish

spots ; upper jaw slightly notched, its edges nearly straight.

NANEMYS, 3.

162 REPTILES.

*** Carapace rather depressed ; plastron wide, flat, movable upon
the carapace and also upon a transverse hinge; anterior
lobe somewhat smaller than the posterior, which is emargi-

nate behind ; toes webbed EMYS, 4.

. **** Carapace rather flat ; plastron wide and flat, as is also the
bridge connecting it to the carapace ; toes broadly webbed;
hind-legs much stouter than fore-legs ; larger species, deci-
dedly aquatic.

f Upper jaw not notched in front; carapace more or less strongly
keeled QJ tuberculated. . . . MALACOCLEMMYS, 6.
ft Upper jaw notched in front; shell not keeled in adult.
\ Horizontal alveolar surfaces of jaws not divided by a longi-
tudinal ridge; stripes on neck, tail, legs, etc., bright red
(in our species) ; head with yellow lines ; large plates of
carapace plain ; marginal plates with bright red mark-
ings; a small tooth on each side of notch in upper jaw;

shell never keeled CIIIIYSEMYS, 5.

\\ Horizontal alveolar surfaces divided by a longitudinal
ridge, running parallel with the cutting edge ; stripes on
legs, etc., usually yellow, never bright red; large plates
of carapace often variegated; traces of a keel usually
evident, at least in the young. . . PSEUDEMYS, 7.

/. CISTUDO, Fleming. Box TURTLES.

1. C. clausa, (Gm.) COMMON Box TURTLE. Colors
very variable, chiefly blackish variegated with yellowish;
N. Y. to Mo. and S. in dry woods.

Var. triunguis, (Ag.) Cope. THREE-TOED Box TURTLE.
Hind-feet mostly 3-toed, paler. Southern, N. to Peiui.

2. C. ornata, Ag. NORTHERN Box TURTLE. " Shell
round, broad, flat, without keel, even when young."
Iowa and W.

2. CHELOPUS, Rafinesque. WOOD TURTLES.

* A deep notch in upper jaw, with a lengthened tooth on each
side of it ; lower jaw strongly arched upwards. (Culemys, Ag.)

EMYDID^E. — LXVH. 163

1. C. muhlenbergii, (Schweigger) Cope. MUHLENBERG'S
TORTOISE. Brown with yellowish markings ; plastron
black with yellowish central blotch; an orange spot on
each side of neck ; shell somewhat carinated; L. 4J.
E. Penn. and N. J.

** Upper jaw broad at end, arched downward, with a notch at
tip; just behind the tip the horny sheath slants inward so
that the width of the jaw is less than that of the forehead;
edge of lower jaw straight, excepting the tip which is strongly
upcurved. (Glyptemys, Ag.)

2. C. inscu/ptus, Le C. WOOD TORTOISE. Shell car-
inated, its plates marked with concentric striae and radi-
ating lines; plastron with a black blotch on each plate;
L. 8. U. S., E. of Ohio, in woods and fields.

3. NANEMYS, Agassiz. SPECKLED TORTOISES.

1. N. guttatus, (Schn.) Ag. SPECKLED TORTOISE.
Black, dotted more or less with orange, these spots rarely
obsolete; plastron yellow, blotched with black; shell not
carinated; L. 4£. E. U. S., W. to N, Ind. (Levette)',
abundant.

4. EMYS, Brogniart. TORTOISES.

1. E. meleagris, (Shaw) Ag. BLANDING'S TORTOISE.
Jet black; usually with yellowish spots; plastron yellow-
ish with black blotches; head with yellow spots; L. 8.
Wisconsin to Alleghanies, in moist woods and fields.

5. CHRYSEMYS, Gray. PAINTED TURTLES.

1. C. picia, (Herm.) Ag. PAINTED TURTLE. MUD
TURTLE. Greenish black; plates margined with paler;
marginal plates marked with bright red; plastron yellow,
often blotched with brown; L. 8. E. U. S., one of the
most common turtles.

Var. marginata, Ag. Plates of carapace alternating
or in quincunx, the lateral rows out of line with the

164 BEPTILES.

middle one, instead of forming sets of three as in the
eastern form; lateral plates with strong concentric strire.
W. N. Y. and W., common. C. oreyonensis, (Holb.) Ag.,
without red markings, occurs in Minn, and W.

6. MALACOCLEMMYS, Gray. MARSH TURTLES.

* Lower jaw spread out into a spoon-shaped dilatation; head with

a horny, skin; inland turtles. (Graptemys, Ag.)

1. M. geographicus, (LeS.) Cope. MAP TURTLE. Dark
olive brown with greenish and yellow streaks and retic-
ulations, especially distinct on neck, legs and edges of
carapace; plastron yellowish; carapace strongly notched
behind and usually decidedly keeled. Miss. Valley, E.
to N. Y.

2. M. pseudogeographicus, (Holbr.) Cope. LESUEUR'S
MAP TURTLE. Much like the preceding but grayer, the
markings on the shell paler, less distinct and in larger
pattern; keel of carapace stronger, each plate of the
vertebral series with a blackish projection behind, which
is more or less imbricated over the succeeding plate;
plastron yellowish, marbled with blackish; head, neck
and legs with bright yellow stripes. Wis. to Oliio and
S. W.

** Sheath of jaws straight, the cutting edges smooth; salt-marsh
turtles. (Malacoclemmys.')

3. M. pa/usfris, ( Gmel. ) SALT - MARSH TURTLE.
DIAMOND -BACK. Greenish or dark olive; plates, both
of carapace and plastron, with concentric dark stripes.
N. Y. to Texas, along the coast.

7. PSEUDEMYS, Gray. TERRAPINS.

* Jaws serrated. (Ptycliemys, Ag.)

1. P. rugosa, (Shaw). RED-BELLIED TERRAPIN. Dusky,
with red markings above; marginal plates with much
red; plastron red or partly yellowish; neck, etc., with

CINOSTERNID^E. — LXVIII. 165

yellow stripes; variable: N. J. to Va., an elegant turtle,

known by the serrated jaws.

** Jaws not serrated. (Trddiemys, Ag.)

2. P. hieroglyphica, (Holbr.) HIEROGLYPHIC TURTLE.
Shell smooth, depressed; olive brown with broad reticu-
lated, yellowish lines; plastron dingy yellow; head very
small. E. U. S.

3. P. troostii, (Holbr.) YELLOW-BELLIED TERRA-PIN.
Greenish - black, lateral plates with horn -colored lines
and spots; plastron dull yellow, with large, black blotches;
throat with greenish stripes; shell never keeled. Miss.
Valley, N. to Ills.

4. P. elegans, (Wied.) ELEGANT TERRAPIN. Brown
with yellowish wavy lines and blotches; a blood-red band
on each side of neck; plastron yellow with a dusty
blotch on each plate. Ills, to Rocky Mountains.

5. P. scabra, (L.) Cope. ROUGH TERRAPIN. Dark
brown, with yellow stripes; plastron yellow with small
black blotches in front; carapace wrinkled. Va. to Fla.

FAMILY LXVIII. — CINOSTERNID^E.

(The Cinosternoid Turtles.)

Carapace rather long and narrow, the outline usually
rising gradually from the front to a point beyond the
center of the shell, then abruptly descending; the bulk
of the body therefore thrown backward; margin of the
carapace turning downward and inward rather than out-
ward; plastron proportionally large, covered with 7, 9 or
11 horny plates, the anterior pair coalescing into one;
anterior, and sometimes also posterior lobe of plastron,
often movable upon the fixed central portion; head
pointed; jaws usually strong.

Turtles of small size, chiefly American.

166 REPTILES.

* Anterior and posterior lobes of plastron nearly equal, both freely
movable and capable of closing the shell; posterior lobe
emarginate behind, its angles rounded; carapace without"
traces of keel in adult CINOSTERNUM, 1.

** Posterior lobe of plastron narrower and longer, truncate behind,
its angles rather pointed; lobes of plastron little movable,
incapable of closing the shell ; carapace more or less cariu-
ated, at least when young; head very large, with strong jaws.

AROMOCIIELYS, 2.

/. CINOSTERNUM,^T&g\QY. SMALL Box TURTLES.

> Thrynosternum^ Ag.

1. C. pennsylvanicum, (Bosc.) Bell. SMALL MUD
TURTLE. Shell dusky brown; head and neck with light
stripes and yellow dots; anterior dorsal plate nearly as
broad in front as long; L. 4. N. Y. to Fla. and W.

2. AROMOCHELYS, Gray. MUSK TURTLES.

= Ozothecci) Agassi z.

1. A. odoratus, (Latreille) Gray. MUSK TURTLE.
STINK- POT. Shell dusky, clouded, sometimes spotted;
head very large with strong jaws; carapace with traces
of a keel, but the plates not imbricated in the adult;
anterior dorsal plate nearly twice as wide as long in
front; a yellow stripe from snout, above eye, down the
side of neck and another below eye; a strong musky odor;
L. 6. E. U. S., abundant. W. to Indiana. (Levette.)

2. A. carinaius, Gray. LITTLE MUSK TURTLE. Plates
of carapace overlapping more or less, each one edged
with black and marked with radiating stripes; neck
unstriped. Lower Mississippi region. ( Goniochelys
minor ) Ag.)

FAMILY LXIX. — CHELYDRID^E.

(The Snapping Turtles)
Shell high in front, low behind; bulk of body thrown

TEIONYCHID^E. — LXX. 167

forward; head and neck very large; jaws strong-lr
hooked, and exceedingly powerful; tail long, stroiig,
with a crest of horny, compressed tubercles; plastron
small, cross-shaped, covered with twelve plates; bridge
very narrow.

Large turtles of great strength and voracity, chiefly
aquatic; two of the three species are American, the
third (PZati/sternum) is from China. Their fierceness is
well known ; when angry they elevate the body, and, in
biting, throw themselves forcibly forward.

* Head rough, covered with soft skin; tail with two rows of
large scales beneath; ridges of carapace disappearing with
age; jaws moderately hooked. . . . CHELYDRA, 1.

** Head very large, covered with smooth, symmetrical plates;
tail with many small imbricate scales beneath ; carapace very
strongly three-keeled ; jaws very strongly hooked.

MACROCHELYS, 2.

/. CHELYDRA, Schweigger. SNAPPING TURTLES.

1. C. serpentina, (L.) Schw. COMMON SNAPPING
TURTLE. Canada to Equador, every where abundant.

2. MACROCHELYS, Gray. ALLIGATOR SNAPPERS.

= Gypochelys, Ag.

1. M. laceriina, (Schw.) MISSISSIPPI SNAPPER. Gulf
States, N. to Illinois; "perhaps the most ferocious, and,
for their size, the strongest of reptiles."

FAMILY LXX. — TRIONYCHID^.

(The Soft-Shelled Turtles.)

Body flat, nearly orbicular; carapace not completely
ossified, the ribs projecting freely towards the outer
extremities ; marginal ossicles rudimentary ; carapace
and plastron covered by a thick leathery skin which is
flexible at the margins. Head long and pointed with a

168 REPTILES.

long, flexible, tubular, pig-like snout; neck long. Feet
broadly webbed; toes long, 5-5, but the claws only 3-3.
Aquatic, carnivorous and voracious; species about 30,
in both hemispheres.

* Nostrils terminal, crescent -sh aped ; a prominent longitudinal
ridge projecting from each side of septum. ASPIDONECTES, 1.

** Nostrils rather under the tip of snout; nasal septum with-
out an internal longitudinal ridge on each side. AMYDA, 2.

/. ASPIDONECTES, Wagler. SOFT -SHELLED TURTLES.

1. A. spinifer, (LeSueur) Ag. COMMON SOFT -SHELLED
TURTLE. Carapace olive brown with dark spots; plastron
nearly white; head and neck olive green with light
and dark stripes; legs and feet mottled every where
with dark; male with the tubercles on the front of the
carapace smaller than in the female, the body also longer
and the tail extending considerably beyond the margin
of the carapace. Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi,
abundant.

2. A. nuchalis, Ag. CUMBERLAND TURTLE. A marked
depression on either side of the keel, which is dilated
and triangular anteriorly; spines and tubercles on cara-
pace largely developed. Cumberland and Upper Tenn.
Rivers.

2. AMYDA, Agassi z. LEATHERY TURTLES.
1. A. mufica, (Les.) Ag. LEATHERY TURTLE. A
depression along median line of carapace; no spines nor
tubercles along anterior margin nor on back; feet not
mottled below. Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes.

ORDER U.-LACERTILIA.

(The Lizards.)
Reptiles not shielded, with the body usually covered

. — LXXI. 169

with overlapping scales; mouth not dilatable; tongue
free; jaws always with teeth. Limbs four, distinct,
rarely rudimentary arid hidden by the skin ; a pectoral
arch developed. Feet usually with five digits, the
phalanges normally 2, 3, 4, 5, 3 or 4. Tail usually long
and in many cases very brittle, readily broken by a
slight blow; this is owing to a thin, unossified, trans-
verse septum, which traverses each vertebra. " The
vertebra naturally breaks with great readiness through
the plane of the septum, and when such lizards are
seized by the tail, that appendage is pretty certain to
part at one of these weak points" (Huxley). Vent a
cross slit; urinary bladder present. The great majority
of the numerous species belong to tropical and sub-
tropical regions.

FAMILY LXXI. — IGUANID^E.

(The Iguanas.)

New World lizards of various habits; the tongue short
and thick and the eyes diurnal with round pupils; scales
imbricated, those on the belly small and rhombic. Feet
for walking; toes unequal. Tail with more or less dis-
tinct whorls of scales, which are commonly spinous.
Warmer parts of America. Genera about sixty; species
one hundred and fifty, or more. (Gray.)

* Body moderately depressed ; head broad, not spinous ; ventral
plates not keeled ...... SCELOPORUS, 1.

** Body much depressed ; head armed with stout spines.

PHRYNOSOMA, 2.

/. SCELOPORUS, Wiegmann. THEE SWIFTS.

= TropidolepiS) Cuvier.

1. S. undu/atus, (Harlan.) PINE TREE LIZARD.
SWIFT. Greenish, bluish, or bronzed, with black, wavy
cross, bands above; throat and sides of belly usually with
8

170 REPTILES.

brilliant blue or green; dorsal scales rather large, cari-
nated; tail slender; L. 7. U. S., in pine forests, etc.;
abundant southward; varies greatly in color.

2. PHRYNOSOMA, Wiegmann. HORNED TOADS.
1. P. douglasi, Bell. HORNED TOAD. TEGUEXIN. No
row of large spines along sides of belly; ventral scales
smooth. Central and Western parts of U. S. south-
westward occurs P. cornutum (Harlan) Gray, with a row
of stout lateral spines, and carinated ventral plates.

FAMILY LXXIL—

(Tlie Glass Snakes.)

Limbs rudimentary, hidden under the skin; body,
therefore, snake-like in form, but the general aspect
lizard-like. Through ignorance of the boundaries of
this family, I am unable to characterize it.

/. OPHEOSAURUS, Daudin. GLASS SNAKES.

1. 0. vent rails, (L.) Baud. GLASS SNAKE. Body
serpentiform; a conspicuous lateral fold; no external
limbs; tail very brittle, as in most lizards; dusky and yel-
low with narrow black streaks. Tenn. to Kansas and S.

FAMILY LXXIIL

(The Teguexins.)

New World Lizards; head pyramidal, with regular
many-sided shields; scales of back granular or carinated;
throat scaly, usually with a double collar. Warmer
parts of America; genera 12; species about 40.

/. CNEMIDOPHORUS, Wiegmann. TARAGUIRAS.
1. C. sexlineatus, (L.) D. & B. SIX-LINED LIZARD.
Olive, with 3 or 4 yellow streaks on each side; abdomen

SCINCIDJE. — LXXIV. 171

silvery; length 6 to 9 inches. S. E. Va. to Ills, and
Mexico.

FAMILY LXXIV.— SCINCID^E.

(The Skinks.)

Head subquadrangular; regularly shielded; body fusi-
form or subcylindrical, often with longitudinal stripes;
limbs 4, various. Genera 50; species 150; in most parts
of the world.

* Ear large; its front edge dentate ; lower eye -lid scaly.

EUMECES, 1.

** Ear very large, circular, its front edge rounded; lower eye -lid
with a transparent disk OLIGOSOMA, 2.

/. EUMECES, Wiegmann. BLUE TAILS.

= Plestiodon, Auct.

1. E. fasc/'atus, (L.) BLUE-TAILED LIZARD. Blackish,
with fine yellowish streaks, middle one forked on the
head; tail mostly blue; old specimens sometimes red-
dish olive, obscurely striped; head reddish; L. 8 to 11.
U. S., E. of the Rocky Mts.; abundant S.; very variable.

2. £. septenfriona/is, (Baird) Cope. NORTHERN SKINK.
Olive, with four dark stripes above; sides with two
narrow white lines margined on each side with black.
Minnesota to Nebraska.

3. E. anthracinus, (Baird) Cope. COAL SKINK.
Black (?). Alleganies, from Penn. S.

2. OLIGOSOMA, Girard. Mocos.

1. 0. laterals, (Say.) Grd. GROUND LIZARD. Chest-
nut color; on each side a black lateral band, edged with
white; abdomen yellowish; tail blue below; head short;
small and slender; L. 5. Southern States, abundant; N.
to Illinois. (Nelson.)

172 BEPTILES.

OEDEE V.-OPHIDIA.

(The Serpents.)

Reptiles, not shielded, with an epidermal covering of
imbricated scales, which is shed as a whole and replaced
at regular intervals. Mouth very dilatable, the bones of
the lower jaw separate from each other, only united
by ligaments. Limbs wanting, or represented by small
spurs on the sides of the vent; vent a transverse slit.
Various anatomical characters distinguish the snakes,
but the elongated form and absence of limbs separate
them at once from all our other Vertebrates, excepting
the Lizard Opheosaurm, and this is not in any other
respect, snake-like.

FAMILY LXXV. (a) — COLUBRIDJE.
(The Colubrine Snakes.)

Both jaws fully provided with teeth, which are conical
and not grooved; head covered with shields; no poison
fangs; no spur -like appendages to vent; belly covered
with broad band - like plates (gastrosteges) ; tail conical,
tapering; sub -caudal plates (urosteges) arranged in
pairs.

A very large family comprising nearly one hundred
genera, and upwards of four hundred species, found
in nearly every part of the world, but most abundant in
warm regions. They differ from the Elapidce of the
Southern U. S. and southward, in the want of erect
poison fangs; from the Crotalidce, in having both jaws
fully provided with teeth, and the absence of erectile
poison fangs; and from the Boidoe, and their relatives in
the want of the spur - like rudimentary posterior limbs.

The following key is entirely artificial, and in the
consideration of the species, I have generally omitted

COLUBRID^E. — LXXV. 173

characters taken from the cephalic plates as not available
for my purpose.
* Dorsal scales carinated.
f Anal plate entire.

a. Rows of scales 19 to 21 ; ventral plates (gastrosteges) 140 to

170 ; general color 3 light stripes on a darker ground ;
sides usually with spots ; mostly viviparous.

EUT^LNIA, 5.

aa. Rows of scales 29 to 37 ; gastrosteges 200 to 240 ; general
color whitish with a triple series of dark blotches.

PITYOPHIS, 7.
f f ^xnal plate bifid.

b. Rows of scales 15 to 17.

c. Tail about one-third of total length ; gastrosteges 150 to
160 ; urosteges 100 or more ; color clear golden green.

CYCLOPHIS, 9.

ce. Tail much less than one-third of total length ; gastro-
steges 125 to 130 ; urosteges 60 or less ; color brown or
reddish.

d. With one or two faint grayish dorsal stripes and

usually a broken dusky band along sides; small

species: rows of scales 15 to 17; loral plate absent;

anteorbital present. . . . STORERIA, 4.

dd. No dorsal stripe; rows of scales 17; loral plate

present ; anteorbital wanting. . HALDEA, 16.

bb. Rows of scales 19 to 21.

e. Gastrosteges 130 to 170 ; general color usually 3 or more
dark bands on a lighter ground ; size large;

TROPIDONOTUS, 2.

ee. Gastrosteges 130 to 140 ; general color brown with many
obscure black cross-blotches, distinct on neck ; belly
salmon red with a row of black spots on each side ;

size small TROPIDOCLONIUM, 3.

bbb. Rows of scales 23 to 29.

/. Form short and stout ; snout prominent, acute, recurved
and keeled, forming a sharp ridge; head flattened
when angry ; gastrosteges 125 to 150. HETERODON, 1.

174 BEPTILBS.

ff. Snout not recurved and keeled ; species of large size.
g. Gastrosteges 130 to 155 ; general color 3 series of dark
blotches on a lighter ground, sometimes simply
barred or uniformly dark or reddish ; aquatic.

TROPIDONOTUS, 2.

gg. Gastrosteges 200 to 235 ; general color brown or black,
sometimes with quadrate blotches ; abdomen usually
blotched ; terrestrial. . . . COLUBER, 8.
** Dorsal scales smooth.

\ Anal plate entire ; gastrosteges 175 to 200 • color black, brown

or red, more or less variegated.
h. Rows of scales 21 to 25 ; loral plate present.

OPHIBOLUS, 12.

hh. Rows of scales 19 ; no loral plate. . . OSCEOLA, 13.
\\ Anal plate bifid ; scales in 13 to 17 rows.
i. Gastrosteges 170 to 210 ; scales in 17 rows ; snakes very
large or very long — ours lustrous pitch black in color

when adult BASCANITJM. 6.

it. Gastrosteges less than 170 ; snakes of medium to small size.
j. Scales in 13 rows ; gastrosteges 120 to 135 ; brown, salmon
color or yellowish beneath. . CARPHOPHIOPS, 18.
jj. Scales in 15 to 17 rows.

k. Color black, unstriped ; a distinct yellowish ring about

neck"; gastrosteges 140 to 160. . DPADOPHIS, 11.

kk. Color clear bright green ; no collar ; gastrosteges 130

to 140 LIOPELTIS, 10.

kkk. Color brownish, with black dots ; no collar ; gastro-
steges 115 to 125 VIRGINIA, 17.

\\\ Anal plate bifid ; scales in 19 rows ; gastrosteges, 170 to 185.
I. Bluish black with squarish red spots on the blanks ; abdomen

red with black spots FARANCIA, 14.

U. Blue-black, with three red lines ; abdomen yellowish with
a series of dark spots ABASTOR, 15.

/. HETERODON, Beauvais. SPREADING ADDERS.
1. Jf. platyrhinuSf Latreille. BLOWING VIPEB. HOG-

COLUBKID^E. — LXXV. 175

NOSE SNAKE. Brownish, with about 28 dark dorsal
blotches, besides lateral ones and half rings on the tail;
sometimes uniform black. Vertical plate longer than
broad, about equal to occipitals; L. 30; G. 125 to 150;
scales 25. E. U. S., abundant. A very variable species;
when angry it depresses and expands the head, hissing
furiously, thus exhibiting a very threatening appearance,
but it is perfectly harmless.

2. H. simus, (L.) Holbrook. HOG- NOSED SNAKE.
Dorsal blotches about 35 ; ground color usually paler or
yellowish brown; vertical plate much longer than occip-
itals, broader than long; G. 130; scales 23 to 27, usually
26. Southern, N. to Ills, and Wis.

2. TROPIDONOTUS, Kuhl. WATER SNAKES.
* Scales in 23 to 29 rows. (Nerodia, B. & G.)

1. T. sipedon, (L.) Holbr. WATER SNAKE. WATER
ADDER. Brownish; back and sides with each a series of
large, square, dark blotches alternating with each other;
rarely uniformly dusky; scales 23; G. 130 to 150; L. 30
to 50. E. U. S., abundant; aquatic.

Var. erythrogaster, (Shaw) Cope. RED -BELLIED
WATER SNAKE. Uniform red-black above; copper-color
below; head elongated. Michigan to Kansas and S.

Var. woodhousei, (B. & G.) Cope. Scales in 25 rows.
Mo. to Texas.

2. T. rhombifer, Hallowell. HOLBROOK'S WATER
SNAKE. Brown, with black quadrangular blotches;
scales in 27 rows. Mich., Ills, and S.

** Scales in 19 to 21 rows. (Regina, B. & G.)

3. T. rigidus, (Say) Holbr. STIFF SNAKE. Greenish
brown; two brown dorsal bands; abdomen yellowish,
spotted; outer row of scales smooth; scales 19; G. 130
to 170; L. 24. Penn. to Ga.

176 REPTILES.

4. T. leberis, (L.) Holbr. LEATHER SNAKE. Chestnut
brown; a yellow lateral band and three narrow black
dorsal stripes; scales all carinated; scales 19; G. 140 to
150; L. 24. U. S., chiefly eastward.

5. T. grahami, (B. & G.) Cope. GRAHAM'S SNAKE.
Brown; a broad yellowish lateral band; scales all strongly
carinated; head slender; abdomen unspotted; scales
19 (to 31?); G. 160; L. 20. -Mississippi Valley, N. to
Michigan.

3. TROPIDOCLONIUM, Cope. LITTLE RED SNAKES.

1. T. k/rt/andi, ( Kenn.) Cope. KIRTLAND'S SNAKE.
Head shiny black; vertical plate broad; scales 19, all
carinated; G. 130 to 140; L. 8. Ohio to 111.; a hand-
some little snake.

4. STORERIA, Baird and Girard. RED - BELLIED SNAKES.

= Isch)i,ognathus, Dum. & Bibron.

1. S. occ/pitomacu/ata, (Storer) B. & G. RED-BELLIED
SNAKE. Grayish or chestnut brown, usually showing a
paler vertebral band bordered by blackish dots; obscure
dots on side; occiput with three pale blotches (very
constant); belly salmon red; scales 15; G. 120 to 125;
L. 12. U. S., chiefly eastward; abundant.

2. S. dekayi, (Holbr.) B. & G. DEKAY'S BROWN
SNAKE. Grayish brown; a clay -colored dorsal band,
bordered by dotted lines; grayish below; body thickish,
tapering towards the small head; scales 17; G. 125 to
130; L. 12. E. U. S.

5. EUT/ENIA, Baird and Girard. GARTER SNAKES.

* Body very slender, elongated; tail nearly one-third of total
length; scales in 19 rows.

1. £. saurita, (L.) B. & G. RIBAND SNAKE. SWIFT

COLUBRID^E. — LXXV. 177

GARTER SNAKE. Brown with three yellow stripes;
light, clear brown, below the lateral stripes; tail usually
more than ^ of length; colors bright; G. 150 to 160; L.
36. U. S., chiefly E. of the Alleghanies.

2. £. faireyi, B. & G. FAIRIE'S GARTER SNAKE.
Blackish, with three greenish yellow stripes; body rela-
tively stout; tail less than ^ length; space below bands
same color as above; G. 165 to 180; L. 30. Miss.
Valley, N. to Wis.

3. E. proximo., (Say) B. & G. SAY'S GARTER SNAKE.
Blackish, dorsal stripe brownish yellow; lateral stripes
greenish; tail | of total length; sides colored like back;
G. 165 to 175; L. 35. Miss. Valley, N. to Wis.

** Body stouter ; tail shorter, about J- of total length ; scales 19.

4. E. radix, Baird & Girard. HOY'S GARTER SNAKE.
Black with three narrow yellow lines; scales very rough,
the outer row broad; colors deep; head short; G. 150 to
160; L. 25. L. Michigan to Oregon.

5. E. sirtalis, (L.) B. & G. COMMON GARTER SNAKE.
STRIPED SNAKE. Olivaceous, dorsal stripe narrow; lat-
eral stripes rather broad but not conspicuous ; colors
generally duller than in the other species, lateral rows
of spots more or less distinct; G. 130 to 160. N. Am.,
every where ; our commonest snake ; very variable.
Prominent varieties are:

Var. ordinata, (L.) Cope, has the stripes duller and
the spots more distinct, 85 in number. Chiefly north-
eastward.

Var. dorsal is, (B. & G.) Cope, has the dorsal stripe
broad, and a row of distinct spots above the lateral stripe.
N. Am., every where.

Var. parietalis, (Say.) Cope, has the stripes dull

178 REPTILES.

greenish and the spaces between the lateral spots vivid
brick red. Ind. (Jordan) and W.

6. BASCANIUM, Baird and Girard. BLACK SNAKES.
> Coryphodon, Dumeril et Bibron.

1. B. constrictor, (L.) B. & G. BLACK SNAKE. Lus-
trous pitch black, greenish below, chin and throat white;
young olive with rhomboid blotches ; large, rather
slender; scales 17 (rarely 19); G. 170 to 200; L. 50 to
60. E. U. S., common E. and S.

7. PITYOPHIS, Holbrook. PINE SNAKES.

1. P. melanoleucus, (Daud.) Holb. PINE SNAKE.
BULL SNAKE. White, with chestnut brown blotches
which are margined with black, besides other markings;
scales 29; G. 220 to 230; L. 60. Pine woods; N. J. to
Ohio and southward.

2. P. sayi, (Schlegel) B. & G. WESTERN PINE SNAKE.
Whitish or reddish, with many dark blotches and spots;
scales usually 25; G. 220 to 230; L. 40 to 70. Western,
E. to Wis

8. COLUBER, Linnaeus. RACERS.
> Scotophis, B. & G.

1. C. guttatus, L. SPOTTED RACER. Red brown with
a dorsal series of large, red, dark -edged blotches; belly
checkered with black; scales 27; G. 210 to 230; L. 50.
Virginia and S.

2. C. obsoletus, Say. PILOT SNAKE. RACER. Lustrous
black, some scales white -edged; vertical plate longer
than broad; scales 27; G. 235; L. 50 to 75. Mass, to
Ills, and Texas; one of our largest snakes. (G. alle-
ghaniensiS) Holbr.)

COLUBRID.E. — LXXV. 179

3. C. vulpinus, (B. & G.) Cope. Fox SNAKE. Light
brown, with quadrate, chocolate-colored blotches; verti-
cal plate broader than long; scales 25; G. 200 to 210;
L. 60. Mass, to Kansas and Northward.

4. C. emoryi, (B. & G.) Cope. EMORY'S RACER. Ashy
gray with transverse brown blotches; vertical plate
elongated; 6 or 8 median rows of scales only carinated;
scales 29; G. 210 to 220; L. 40 to 50. Ills, to Kansas
and Texas.

9. CYCLOPHSS, Giinther. SUMMER SNAKES.

Leptophis^ B. & G.

1. C. (Bstivus, (L.) Giinther. SUMMER GREEN SNAKE.
Head conical, neck very small; bright clear green, yel-
lowish below; scales 17; G. 150 to 160; L. 30. Southern,
N. to N. J. and Ills., abundant in the mountains; a most
exquisite little creature.

10. LIOPELTIS, Fitzinger. GREEN SNAKES.
1. L. vernalis, (DeKay) Jan. GREEN SNAKE. GRASS
SNAKE. SPRING SNAKE. Head elongate, neck slender;
eyes very large ; uniform deep green (bluish in spirits),
yellowish below; scales 15; G. 130 to 140; L. 20. E.
U. S., chiefly northerly; a beautiful species.

//. D I ADO PHIS, Baird and Girard. RING -NECKED

SNAKES.

< Ablabes, D. & B.

1. D. punctatus, (L.) B. & G. RING - NECKED SNAKE.
Head depressed; eye rather large; blue-black above,
bright pale orange below (yellowish in spirits); each
plate usually with a black spot; yellowish occipital ring
conspicuous; scales 15; G. 140 to 160; L. 15. Whole
U.S.

180 REPTILES.

Var. amabilis, (B. & G.) Cope, is slender, with 180 or
more gastrosteges; below darker and more spotted.
Western, E. to Ohio.

2. D. arnyi, Kenn. ARNY'S RING -NECKED SNAKE.
Lead black; belly spotted and mottled with black;
occipital ring narrow, scales 17. Ills, to Kansas.

12. OPHI BOLUS, Baird and Girard. KING SNAKES.

< Coronella, Laurenti.

< Lamproptltis, Auct.

1. 0. getulus, (L.) B. & G. CHAIN SNAKE. THUNDER
SNAKE. Black with narrow yellowish lines forking on
the flanks, each fork embracing a large black spot; belly
checkered; scales 21; G. 210 to 225; L. 50. Maryland
to La., E. of the mountains; variable; represented west-
ward by

Var. sayi, (Holbr.) Cope. KING SNAKE. Lustrous
black, many scales with a whitish spot in the center.
Alleghany to Rocky Mts., abundant, N. to Ills.; a hand-
some species.

2. 0. doliatus, (L.) B. & G. RED SNAKE. CORN SNAKE,
etc. Red with twenty to twenty -five pairs of black
rings, each set enclosing a yellowish one; head red;
scales 21; G. 180 to 210; L. 30 to 50. Md. to Kansas
and S.; exceedingly variable, running by degrees into
the following variety, extremes of which bear little
resemblance to the typical doliatus.

Var. iriangulus, (Boie.) Cope. MILK SNAKE. HOUSE
SNAKE. SPOTTED ADDER. Grayish, with three series of
brown, rounded blotches bordered with black, about fifty
of them in the dorsal row; an arrow-shaped occipital

COLUBRLD^E. — LXXV. 181

spot; scales, etc., as in preceding. Va. to Iowa, and
northward; very common. \Goronella eximia^ (DeKay)
Jan.]

3. 0. calligasier, (Say.) Cope. KENNICOTT'S CHAIN
SNAKE. Light olive gray, with about sixty quadrate,
chestnut colored, emarginate blotches on back and two
rows of smaller ones on each side; scales in 25 rows.
Ills, to Kansas. (O. evansi^ Kenn.)

13. OSCEOLA, Baird and Girard. SCARLET SNAKES.

1. 0. elapsoidea, (Holbr.) B. & G. SCARLET SNAKE.
Brilliant red, with about fifteen pairs of jet black rings
on body and three on tail, each pair enclosing a white
ring; the black rings tapering towards the sides, £he
white ones spreading; resembles closely 0. doliatus\
scales 19; G. 175 to 180; L. 20. Va. to Fla.

14. PARANOIA, Gray. HORN SNAKES.

< Calopisma, D. & B.

1. F. abacura, (Holb.) B. & G. RED-BELLIED HORN
SNAKE. Blue-black with red lateral spots; eyes small;
scales 19; G. 175; L. 36. Southern, N. to Ills. (Nel-
son.)

15. ABASTOR, Gray. RED-SIDED SNAKES.

1. A. erythrogrammus, (Daudin) Gray. RED- LINED
SNAKE. Blue-black; sides with three red lines; eyes
very large; nostrils in the middle of nasal plate; scales
19; G. 180; L. 25. Southern, N. to Ills. (Nelson.)

16. HALDEA, Baird & Girard. BROWN SNAKES.

= ConocepfialiiS) D. <£ B.
1. H. striatu/a, (L.) B. & G. BROWN SNAKE. Head

182 BEPTILES.

elongated, on a small neck; reddish gray, salmon red
beneath; scales 17; G. 125 to 130; L. 10. Va. to Texas.

17. VIRGINIA, Baird and Girard. BROWN SNAKES.

1. /. Valerias, B. & G. VALERIA BLANEY'S SNAKE.
Head elliptical; body slender; brownish with minute
black dots, often in two rows; yellowish beneath; scales
15; G. 120 to 130; L. 12. Md. to Ills, and S.

2. V. e/eganSf Kenn. KENNICOTT'S BROWN SNAKE.
Scales much narrower; uniform olivaceous above; yel-
lowish beneath; scales 17. S. Ills, to Ark.

18. CARPHOPHIOPS, Gervais. WORM SNAKES.
= Celuta, B. & G.

1. C. amcenus, (Say) Cope. GROUND SNAKE. Glossy
chestnut brown; belly salmon -red; head very small;
vertical plate broad; nasal plate large, pierced by the
nostril; scales 13; G. 120 to 130; L. 12. Mass, to Ills,
and S.

2. C. helence, (Kenn.) Cope. HELEN TENNISON'S
SNAKE. Lustrous chestnut -brown, flesh color beneath;
snout short and narrow; a single pair of frontal plates;
scales 13. S. Ills, to Miss.

3. C. vermis, (Kenn.) Cope. WORM SNAKE. Purplish-
black, two pairs of frontals, as in C. amcenus; belly
flesh color, color extending on sides; scales 13; larger
than the othejrs. Missouri to Kansas.

FAMILY LXXV. (b.) — ELAPIDJE.

(TJie Harlequin Snakes.)

Venomous snakes, provided with two or more perman-
ently erect, grooved fangs in the upper jaw, and usually
a series of smaller teeth behind them; scales not carin-
ated; head usually quadrangular, with flat crown and

CBOTALIILE. — LXXYI. 183

short muzzle; no loral plate. Genera 15; species about
50, chiefly East Indian, a few inhabiting the warmer
parts of America.

* Anal plate entire ; urosteges two-rowed ; scales in 15 rows.

ELAPS, 1.

/. ELAPS, Schneider. HARLEQUIN SNAKES.
1. £. fulvius, (L.) Guv. BEAD SNAKE. Jet black,
with about 17 broad crimson rings, each bordered with
yellow, and spotted below with black; a yellow occipital
band; tail with yellow rings; L. 30; G. 200 to 215; U.
32. Va. to Ark. and S. A beautiful snake, mild in dis-
position and apparently harmless, although provided with
venom-fangs. Resembles Osceola and Ophibolus.

FAMILY LXXVL — CROTALIDJE.

(The Crotalid Snakes.)

Upper jaw destitute of solid teeth, but provided
with an erectile, grooved poison-fang on each side in
front; a deep pit between eye and nostril. Tail often
provided with a rattle, composed of horny rings of modi-
fied epidermis. Urosteges generally undivided, at least
anteriorly. Scales carinated in all our species. Species
50, more or less, all American, and renowned for the
deadliness of their venom.

* Tail with a rattle.

f Top of head covered with small, scale-like plates, larger ones
in front; size large; rattle large. , . CROTALUS, 1.
ff Top of head with 9 large plates ; size small ; rattle small.

CAUDISONA, 2.
** Tail without a rattle ; general color chestnut, variegated.

ANCISTRODON, 3.

/. CROTALUS, Linnaeus. RATTLESNAKES.
1. C. horridus, L. BANDED OR NORTHERN RATTLE-
SNAKE. Sulphur brown of various shades, with two rows

184 REPTILES,

of confluent, brown, lozenge - shaped spots; tail black;
a light loral line with a dark patch beneath; scales 23 to
25; G. 165 to 170; L. 40 to 60. U. S., chiefly eastward
and southward, in rocky places; rapidly becoming ex-
tinct; several other species occur southwestward. (C.
durisnt&i Auct.)

2. CAUDISONA, Laurenti. MASSASSAUGAS.

= Crotalophorus, Gray.

1. C. iergemlna, (Say.) Cope. MASSASSAUGA. PRAIRIE
RATTLESNAKE. Brown or blackish with about seven
series of deep chestnut blotches, sometimes entirely
black; scales 25; G. 140 to 150; L. 30. Prairie region,
E. to the Alleghanies; abundant in grassy fields where
not exterminated.

3. ANCISTRODON, Beauvais. COPPERHEADS.
> Toxicophis, Troost.
< Trigonocephalus, Holbr., etc.

1. A. confortr/'x, (L.) B. & G. COPPERHEAD. COTTON
MOUTH. Hazel brown; top of head bright coppery,
back with a series of fifteen to twenty-five dark blotches
having something the form of an inverted Y; yellowish
below with dark blotches; scales 23; G. 150 to 160; L.
35 to 40. E. U. S., chiefly southerly.

2. A. atrofuscus, (Troost) B. & G. BLACK MOCCASIN.
Dusky above, with smoky gray blotches; tail black;
belly white, blotched with black and minutely punctate;
upper lip white; scales 25; G. 130 to 140; L. 25. Mts.
of Tenn. and N. C.

3. A. pise i vows, (Holbr.) Cope. WATER MOCCASIN.
Greenish brown with dark vertical bars; scales 25; G.
140; L. 30. Aquatic; southern, probably not in our
limits.

BATBACHIANS. 185

(The Batrachians.)

Cold-blooded Vertebrates, allied to the fishes, but
differing in several respects, notably in the absence of
rayed fins, the limbs being usually developed and func-
tional, with the skeletal elements of the limbs of
Reptiles; toes usually without claws.

The Batrachians undergo a more or less complete
metamorphosis; the young ("tadpoles") being aquatic
and fish -like, breathing by means of external gills or
branchiae; later in life, lungs are developed and (except-
ing in Proteidci) the gills disappear. Skin naked and
moist (rarely having imbedded scales) and used to some
extent as an organ of respiration. Heart with two
auricles and a single ventricle.

Reproduction by means of eggs which are of com-
paratively small size, without hard shell, developed in
water or in moist situations.

The Batrachians differ more from the Fishes in
appearance than in reality, and they are sometimes
combined into one group (Ichthyopsida), the Birds and
Reptiles constituting another (Sauropsida).

ORDERS OF BATRACHIA.

* Body short, depressed ; tail wanting in the adult; four dereloped

limbs, the posterior being much enlarged. . ANUKA, W.

** Body lengthened, with a distinct tail ; hind limbs if present

not specially elongated.

f With no external gills or branchiae when adult ; eyelids
present URODELA, X.

186 BATRACHIANS.

ft External branchiae and gill clefts persistent through life ; no
eyelids PBOTEIDA, Y.

W. FAMILIES OF ANURA.

* Fingers and toes tapering or cylindrical, not dilated into a disk

at their tips.

f With teeth in the jaws ; toes completely webbed.
a. No spur at the heel ; fingers often webbed ; chiefly aquatic.

RANIDJS, 77.

aa. One of the bones of the heel forming a sharp, flat-edged
spur ; fingers scarcely webbed ; chiefly terrestrial.

SCAPHIOPIDJE, 78.
•j-f Jaws toothless ; toes webbed ; skin more or less warty ; ter-

restrial BUFONID^E, 80.

** Fingers and toes dilated at their tips, forming a viscous disk ;
arboreal HYLID^E, 79.

X. FAMILIES OF URODELA.

* No spiracles or openings in the. sides of the neck in the adult.

•*• Sides (in our species) with a row of round red or yellowish spots
which are bordered with black (these very rarely obsolete) ;
belly dotted with black ; tarsus and carpus ossified ; verte-
brae opisthocoelian (not biconcave). PLEUKODELID^E, 81.
ff Spots, if any, not as above.
J Carpus and tarsus cartilaginous ; tongue much smaller and

more extensively free than in the next,
a. Vertebras concave behind only (opisthocoelian.)

DESMOGNATHID^, 82.
aa. Vertebrae biconcave (ainphiccelian.)

PLETHODONTIIXE, 83.

\\ Carpus and tarsus ossified ; vertebrae arnphicoeliau; tongue
large, thick, papillose, attached by its base, with a narrow
free margin ; salamanders usually of large size and dark

colors AMBLYSTOMIDJE, 84.

** With a spiracle or rounded opening in each side of the neck :

size large.

I, Limbs well developed ; toes 4-5. . . MENOPOMIDJE, 85.
lib. Limbs rudimentary ; toes 2-2 or 3-3. . AMPHIUMID^E, 86.

RANID^E. — LXXVH. 187

Y. FAMILIES OF PROTEIDA.

* Hind legs present; both jaws with teeth; form salamander-like.

PnoTEnxE, 87.
** Hind legs wanting ; upper jaw toothless; form eel-like.

SLRENHXE, 88.

OEDEE W.-AJSTTTEA.

(The Tailless Batracliians.)

Body nearly or quite naked, short and broad; all four
limbs present; tail wanting in the adult; young (tadpole)
fish-like, with broad head, external branchiae, a long tail,
no limbs and no teeth; the intestinal canal very long,
adapted for a vegetable diet; from this form by degrees
it develops into the adult animal which is always more
or less Frog-like.

FAMILY LXXVIL — RANID^E.

(The Frogs.)

Tailless Batrachians with the tongue adherent in front
and more or less free behind; fingers four, toes five,
both commonly webbed; ear well developed, jaws and
usually vomer, with teeth; chiefly aquatic. Genera
fourteen, species about fifty; very abundant in tropical
America.

* Vomerine teeth present ; no finger opposed to the others ; tongue

nicked behind ; toes full-webbed. . . RANA, 1.

/. RANA, Linnaeus. FROGS.

* Back with large distinct spots arranged in more or less regular

rows ; back with two conspicuous yellowish folds.

1. R. halecina, Kalm. LEOPARD FROG. COMMON
FROG. General color greenish, often bright, sometimes
brassy, with many pale-edged dark spots which lie in
two irregular rows on back; usually two large spots

188 BATKACHIANS.

between eyes; legs barred above; belly pearly or yel-
lowish, each side of back with a well-marked fold. N.
Am., the commonest species.

2. R. palustris, Le Conte. PICKEREL FROG. Brownish
with the spots square, in four rows; young golden green;
body with two glandular folds on each side; slender. E.
U. S.

** Back with small dark spots or none.

3. R. clam Hans, Merrem. GREEN FROG. SPRING
FROG. Bright green, darker on the flanks, every where
spotted with blackish; color sometimes rather brown
than green; white below; glandular folds conspicuous;
size moderate. U. S., E. of the mountains. (R. horico-
nensiS) Holbr. R. fontinalis^ LeC.)

4. R. catesbiana, Shaw. BULL FROG. Greenish, of
varying shades, with numerous small, indistinct darker
spots, head usually of a very bright pale green ; glandu-
lar folds little marked; very large, a foot or more long
when adult. E. U. S., common; well noted for its rich
bass notes. (J?. pipiens, Auct., not of L.)

5. R. temporaria, (L.) var. sylvatica, (Le C.) Gthr.
WOOD FROG. Color reddish brown; a dark band on
each side of head through eye and ear; quite small. E.
U. S., common; scarcely aquatic. (R. cantabrigeiisis,
Baird, the Cambridge Frog, from E. Mass., N. and W.
is another variety of this European species.)

FAMILY LXXVIIL— SCAPHIOPID^E.

(The Spade Foots.)

Terrestrial frogs having the heel provided with a more

or less developed spur. Genera three; species ten or

more. In Europe, America, and Australia.

* Toes completely webbed ; forehead and crown bony, rough ;

skin slightly tuberculate. ; . . SCAPHIOPUS, 1.

HYLIDJE. — LXXIX. 189

/. SCAPHIOPUS, Holbrook. SPADE FOOTS.

1. S. holbrookii, (Harlan) Baird. SOLITARY SPADE

FOOT. Heel with a sharp -edged spur; olive brown, a

pale yellow streak on each side. E. U. S., not very

common; burrows in the ground. (S. solitarius, Holbr.)

FAMILY LXXIX. — HYLIDJE.

(The Tree Frogs)

Arboreal frogs of small size, having the fingers and
toes more or less dilated into disks at their tips; ear well
developed. Genera ten; species sixty; found in most
parts of the world; noted for their shrill voices.

* Disks round, conspicuous ; fingers somewhat webbed ; skin

roughened HYLA, 1.

** Disks small ; fingers not webbed,
f Toes webbed only at base or not at all ; tympanum distinct.

CHOROPHILUS, 2.
ff Toes broadly webbed ; tympanum indistinct. . ACRIS, 3.

/. HYLA, Laurenti. TREE FROGS.

1. H. versicolor, LeConte. COMMON TREE TOAD.
Green, gray or brown, with irregular dark spots; below
yellow or white; fingers one -third webbed; exceedingly
variable. E. U. S., very abundant.

2. H. pickeringii, Holbrook. PICKERING'S TREE TOAD.
Yellowish brown with dusky rhomboidal spots and lines
sometimes arranged in the form of a cross. E. U. S.

3. H. andersonii, Baird. ANDERSON'S TREE TOAD.
Deep pea-green; sides with irregular yellow spots; a
purplish band on sides of head. N. J. to S. C., rare

2. CHOROPHILUS, Baird. LITTLE TREE FROGS.
1. C. triseriatus, (Wied.) Baird. TREE FROG. E. U. S.

190 BATBACHIANS.

3. ACRIS, Dumeril and Bibron. CRICKET FROGS.

1. A. gryllus, (Le C.) var. crepitans, (Baird) Cope.
CRICKET FROG. Brownish above; middle of back and
head bright green; a dark triangle between the eyes;
sides with three oblique blotches; a white line from eye
to ear. E. U. S. (the typical gryllus southward.)

FAMILY LXXX. — BUFONID^E.

(Tlie Toads.}

Maxillaries toothless; toes webbed, not dilated at their
tips; ear well developed; skin usually warty. Genera
three, species thirty; in every part of the world except
Australia. Most of them belong to the familiar genus,
Bufo.

1. BUFO, Laurenti. TOADS.

1. B. lentiginosus, Shaw. AMERICAN TOAD. Brown-
ish olive with a yellowish vertebral line and some
brownish spots; adults very warty; young nearly smooth.
U. S., very common, variable; the northern form is var.
americanus (Le C.) Cope.

OEDEE X.-TJEODELA,

(The Salamanders?)

Body naked, elongated, subcylindrical ; four limbs
developed; tail persistent, usually much longer than
broad, terete or compressed; no external branchiae when
adult.

FAMILY LXXXL — PLEURODELIDJE.

(The Newts.)

Vertebrae concave behind only (opisthoccelian) ; carpus
and tarsus ossified. I am unable to characterize this
family further.

DESMOGNATHLD.E. — LXXXII. 191

* Tongue small, thick, oval, attached by nearly its whole inferior
surface ; toes 4-5, outer and interior on hind foot rudimentary;
our species spotted. .... DIEMYCTYLUS, 1.

/. DIEMYCTYLUS, Rafmesque. SPOTTED NEWTS.
> N~otophthalmus, Raf.

1. D. viridescens, Raf. SPOTTED TRITON. NEWT.
EVET. EFT. Above olive green of varying shades;
lemon yellow below; each side with a row .of several
rather large vermillion spots, each surrounded by a black
ring; back with a pale streak; belly, etc., with small
black dots. E. U. S., abundant E. of the Alleganies; in
ponds and brooks.

2. D. miniatus, Raf. RED EFT. RED EVET. Color
vermillion red of varying shade, paler or yellowish below;
markings precisely as in the foregoing; same range, but
found away from water, under stones, etc.; comes out
after rain. Perhaps a variety or state of the preceding,
at least Prof. Cope so considers it.

FAMILY LXXXIL — DESMOGNATHID^E.

(The DesmognatJis.)

Vertebrae opisthocoelian; carpus and tarsus cartilagin-
ous; no crests or other dermal appendages developed at
the breeding season. Genus one; species three; all of
the Eastern U. S. Tn external characters, this family is
scarcely distinguishable from the next, but the skeletal
distinctions are quite numerous. They are, however, too
technical for our present purpose. " The examination of
the skeleton of speoies of this genus utterly changes the
impressions produced by a consideration of the external
characters. It may be stated as characteristic of the
Batrachia in general, that their affinities can not be deter-
mined without study of the skeleton." Cope. Proc.
Phil. Ac. Nat. So. 1869, 113.

192 BATRACHIANS.

/. DESMOGNATHUS, Baird. DUSKY SALAMANDERS.

1. D. ochrophcea, Cope. YELLOW DESMOGNATH.
Brownish yellow with a brown shade on each side; a
yellowish dorsal band; back with a few spots; belly
unspotted; tail rounded; $ with lower jaw toothless
behind; costal folds 14; size small; scarcely aquatic.
Allegany Mountains, N. Y., southward.

2. D. fusca, (Raf.) Baird. DUSKY SALAMANDER.
Brown above, with gray or purplish spots or shades,
becoming blackish with age; marbled below; eyes
prominent; tail compressed and keeled, as long as head
and body; costal folds 14; larger. Mass, to Ohio and
S.; one of the commonest species in springs and brooks;
remarkable for its activity and strength.

3. D. nigra, (Green) Baird. BLACK SALAMANDER.
Uniform black; tips of tail, jaws, etc., brown; tail com-
pressed and finned; costal folds 12. Penn., S. in the
mountain springs; the largest Eastern Salamander.

FAMILY LXXXIIL— PLETHODONTID^E.

(The American Salamanders.)

Vertebrae amphicoelian ; carpus and tarsus cartilagin-
ous. Various other distinctive characters are given by
Prof. Cope, but we omit them here as not available for
our present purpose. Genera eleven; species thirty;
nearly all North American.

* The tongue attached by a band running from its central or

posterior pedicel to the anterior margin ; preniaxillaries 2 .
f Toes 4-4, small, ashy above, spotted below.

HEMroACTYLTUM, 1.

ft Toes 4-5 ; colors dark ; spotted or banded. PLETHODON, 2.
** Tongue free all around, attached by its central pedicel only;
toes 4-5, all free.

PLETHODONTID^. — LXXXIII. 19S

\. Premaxillaries united ; color yellow or red, spotted or striped.

SPELERPES, 3.

ft Premaxillaries 2 ; color purplish gray or salmon color, un-
spotted GYRINOPHILUS, 4.

/. HEMIDACTYLIUM, Tschudi. FOUR- TOED SALA-
MANDERS.

1. H. scutatum, (Schl.) Tsch. FOUR- TOED SALAMAN-
DER. Ashy brown above; snout yellow; silvery below,
with dots like ink spots; tail slender, nearly twice the
length of the body; head blunt. R. I. to Ills., and S.
(S. melanosticta, Gibbes.)

2. PLETHODON, Tschudi. PLETHODONTS.

1. P. erythronotus, (Green) Baird. BED -BACKED
SALAMANDER. Plumbeous above, often with a broad
red dorsal band; belly marbled; body very slender; tail
cylindric; inner toes rudimentary; costal folds 16 to 19.
E. U. S., common. \P. cinereus^ (Green) Cope, variety
without red dorsal band.]

2. P. glutinosus, (Green) Baird. VISCID SALAMAN-
DER. Black, usually with gray lateral blotches and
smaller dorsal spots; stout; tail rounded; inner toes well
developed. E. U. S., chiefly terrestrial, like the pre-
ceding.

3. SPELERPES, Rafmesque. CAVE SALAMANDERS.

1. S. bilineaius, (Green) Baird. Two - STRIPED SALA-
MANDER. Yellow with a dark line along each side of
the back; belly unspotted; tail not keeled; costal folds
14; small. Maine to Wis. and S.

2. S. longicaudus, (Green) Baird. CAVE SALAMANDER.
Lemon yellow; sides with many small black spots; a
median dorsal series; belly spotless; tail keeled, very

9

194 BATEACHIANS.

long, spotted or barred with black; costal folds 13; large.
Maine to Minn, and S., abounding in the caves of Ky.
and Ind.

3. S. ruber, (Daudin) Gray. RED TRITON. Vermil-
ion red, with black or brown spots; head wide; costal
folds 15 or 16; large; variable. Maine to Nebraska and
S. (Pseudotriton, Baird.)

4. GYRINOPHILUS, Cope. PURPLE SALAMANDERS.

1. G. porphyriticus, (Green) Cope. PURPLE SALA-
MANDER. Uniform purplish gray above; head broad;
tail rounded at base, not finned; large; aquatic. Alle-
gany Mountains, N. E. and S. \Spelerpes salmonea (Stor.)
Gray.] "The only one of our Eastern Salamanders
which attempts self defense. It snaps fiercely but harm-
lessly and throws its body into contortions in terror."
(Cope.)

FAMILY LXXXIV.— AMBLYSTOMID^.

(The Amblystomas.)

Vertebrae amphicoelian ; carpus and tarsus ossified;
digits 4-5, without webbing; tongue thick; size gener-
ally large and color dark. Genus one, species nineteen;
probably all American, and very abundant in the South-
ern and Western parts of the U. S. The larvas which
reach a large size, and even breed before the gills are
absorbed, have long been considered as forming a separ-
ate genus, Siredon^ supposed to be allied to Necturus.

1. AMBLYSTOMA,Tschudi. BIG SALAMANDERS.

* Folds of tongue radiating from behind ; costal folds 10 to 12 ;

fourth toe with 4 phalanges.
f Costal grooves 10.
1. A. ialpoideum, (Holbr.) Gray. MOLE SALAMANDER.

AMBLYSTOMID^E3. — LXXXIV. 195

Blackish brown, gray-speckled; tail short, compressed,
2|- in length; head very broad; body short and squat.
Southern, N. to S. Ills,
ff Costal grooves 11.
$ Sole with one indistinct tubercle, or none.

2. A. opacum, (Gravenhorst) Baird. OPAQUE SALA-
MANDER. Black above, with bluish gray bars; belly dark
blue; no dorsal furrow, no enlarged pores on the head;
tail 2|- in total length; body stout. Penn. to Wis. and S.
A handsome species. (S. fasciata, Green.)

3. A. punctatum, (L.) Baird. LARGE SPOTTED SALA-
MANDER. Black above with a series of round yellow
spots on each side of the back; body broad, depressed
and swollen; skin punctate with small pores, from which
exudes a milky fluid (Cope)\ two or three clusters of
enlarged pores on head; a strong dorsal groove; tail 2^
in length; large. U. S., E. of the Rocky Mountains.
(A. venenosa and submolacea, Auct.)

4. A. conspersum, Cope. SMALLER SPOTTED SALA-
MANDER. Lead colored, with one or two series of small
yellow spots along sides; no dorsal groove; skin smooth;
tail 2£ in length; small. Penn. to Ga.

ft Sole with two distinct tubercles.

5. A. bicolor, Hallowell. TWO-COLORED SALAMANDER.
Olive brown, yellowish below, rising in blotches on the
sides; a few large yellowish spots above; limbs banded;
tail yellow with brown spots. New Jersey.

Iff Costal grooves 12.
a. Large species ; sole with two distinct tubercles.

6. A. tigrinum, (Green) Baird. TIGER SALAMANDER.
Chiefly brown with many yellow spots, about as large as
the eye; body thick and strong; the head comparatively
long and narrow; tail shorter than head and body; color

196 BATEACHIANS.

varying from uniform brown to yellow, but usually
spotted. U. S., E. of the Rocky Mountains. (A.
ingens, Hallowell.)

7. A. xiphias, Cope. LONG -TAILED SALAMANDER.
Yellow-olive with brown reticulating bands; head small,
blunt; tail very long, much longer than the head and
body. Ohio.

aa. Small species ; sole with one indistinct tubercle or none.

8. A. jeffersonianum, (Green) Baird. JEFFERSON'S
SALAMANDER. Olive brown or blackish, usually with
pale or bluish spots, but sometimes uniform plumbeous.
Va. to Ind. and N., variable j several varieties are recog-
nized by Prof. Cope.

** Folds on tongue radiating from the median longitudinal furrow ;
costal folds 12 ; size small.

9. A. microstomum, Cope. SMALL - MOUTHED SALA-
MANDER. Lead - colored, usually with gray shades and
specks; head small, short, broad; body slender; skin
very smooth and slippery; lower jaw projecting. Ohio
to Kansas and S.

FAMILY LXXXV. — MENOPOMID^E.

(The Menopomes.)

Salamanders of large size, having the form of Ambly-
stoma, but with an orifice on each side of neck persistent
during life; no external gills; legs well developed; toes
4-5; aquatic. Genus one; species two, Menopoma
fuscum, Holbr., of the head waters of the Tennessee,
and the following:

/. MENOPOMA, Harlan. HELLBENDERS.
1. M. alleghaniense, Harlan. HELLBENDER. BIG
WATER LIZARD. Blackish; length 1£ to 2 feet. Mis-
sissippi Valley to N. C. and S

PROTEID^E. — LXXXVH. 197

FAMILY LXXXVL — AMPHIUMID^E.

(The Congo Snakes.)

Salamanders of large size, having the body elongated
almost serpentiform ; limbs rudimentary with two or
three toes each ; a spiracle on each side of neck as in the
preceding family; aquatic. Genera two; the three-toed
Murcenopsis (M. tridactylus) and the two-toed Amphi-
uma. Species two, inhabiting the ditches and streams
of the warmer parts of the U. S.

/. AMPHIUMA, Linnaeus. Two-ToED CONGO SNAKES.

1. A. means, L. CONGO SNAKE. Dusky; limbs very
small, each with two toes. Southern States, N. to N. C.

OEDEE Y.-PEOTEIDA.

(The Proteans.)

Tailed Batrachians, provided with bushy external gills
which are persistent during life; lungs more or less
developed and functional, hence these animals are truly
amphibious.

FAMILY LXXXVIL— PROTEID^.

(The Mud Puppies.)

Salamanders of medium or large size, provided with
bushy external gills, and having the branchial clefts
remaining open through life; teeth well developed.
Genera two. Proteus inhabitating caves in S. W.
Austria (Carniolci), and Necturiis of the fresh waters of
the U. S. Proteus is blind and has the toes 3-2.
Necturus has the eyes well developed, though small, and
the toes

198 BATEACHIANS.

/. NECTURUS, Rafinesque. MUD PUPPIES.

= Menobranchus, Harlan.

1. N. /atera/is, (Say.) Baird. MENOBRANCHUS. MUD
PUPPY (North). WATER DOG (South). DOG FISH.
Brown, more or less spotted; young with traces of a
lateral band; dusky below; gills large and bushy, bright
red, forming three tufts on each side; head broad, de-
pressed; tail much compressed. E. U. S., chiefly north-
ern and west of the Alleganies, especially abundant in
the Great Lake Region; reaches a length of eight inches
to two feet. (M. maculatus, hyemalis, etc., of authors.)
Another species. N. punctatus^ (Gibbes) Cope, occurs in
S.C.

FAMILY LXXXVIII. — SIRENHXE.
(TU Sirens.)

Body elongated, eel-like; external branchiae persistent;
no posterior limbs, not even a vestige of pelvis; head
flattened; snout obtuse; mouth narrow, the lower jaw
with teeth all around, the upper toothless; eye very
small. (Cuvier.) Genera two, species two, — Pseudo-
branchus striatus, (LeC.) of Georgia, a small species
with small gills, and the following:

/. SIREN, Linnaeus. SIRENS.

1. S. lacertina, L. GREAT SIREN. Reaches a length
of three feet. Southern, N. to N. C. and S. Ills.

FISHES. 199

(The Fishes.)

A fish is a cold-blooded vertebrate, adapted for life in
water, having the limbs developed as fins, the fingers
and toes being represented by cartilaginous rays con-
nected by membrane (in rare cases limbs rudimentary or
wanting); exoskeleton usually developed as scales or
bony plates (skin rarely naked); one or more fins on the
median line of the body, composed of rays connected
by membrane. Skull developed, containing a brain of
several differentiated ganglia; a distinct lower jaw.
Heart with an auricle, ventricle, -and arterial bulb;
respiration by means of branchiae, which consist (typi-
cally) "of bony arches attached to the hyoid bone, to
which the filaments of the gills are attached, generally
in a row upon each, and having their surface covered
by a tissue of innumerable blood vessels. The water
taken in at the mouth passes among the filaments of the
gills and escapes by the gill openings towards the rear;
in its progress through the filaments of the gills the
water imparts to these the oxygen of the air which it
contains. The blood is sent to the gills by the heart,
which thus answers to the right side of the heart of
warm-blooded animals, and from the gills it is sent to an
arterial trunk lying along the under side of the vertebral
column, which distributes the blood through the body of
the fish " (Cuvier) ; branchiae free, gill openings a single
cleft on each side. In most fishes there is a membran-
ous air bladder immediately beneath the back -bone,
answering homologically to the lungs of the higher

200 FISHES.

vertebrates; in a few Ganoids the air bladder is cellular,
and more or less functional and connected by a glottis
with the oesophagus; in most of the soft -rayed Teleo-
cephali there is a slender duct connecting the air bladder
with the alimentary canal ; in the Acanthopteri and others
this is wanting. Reproduction by eggs of small size,
which are fertilized generally after exclusion; a few are
ovoviviparous.

As here characterized, the class Pisces includes the
Teliosts and Ganoids, of authors, and excludes the
Sharks and Skates and their allies, as well as the Lam-
preys and Laricelets, which differ from the true Fishes
more than the latter do from the Batrachians.

The following key includes not only the families of
fresh water fishes described in this work, but also all of
the families of Fishes represented on the Atlantic Coast
of the U. S. The names of those families which are ex-
clusively marine are printed in italics, and no further
reference is made to them. A student, therefore, who
traces a fresh water fish to any of them will understand
that there is an error on his part or mine. The key is,
of course, purely artificial, and does not, in most cases,
give true family distinctions, for instance:

With 5 to 9 detached finlets behind dorsal and anal ; dorsals 2 ;
scales small or none. . . Scombridw, the Mackerels.

does not imply that all Scombridce possess those charac-
ters, nor, indeed, that all possessing them are Scombridce;
but that all fishes in the region here covered, which show
those peculiarities, are to be referred to that family.

SUB-CLASS I. Tail homocercal (caudal fin rarely wanting) ; optic
nerves simply crossing, without chiasma ; arterial bulb simple,
with two opposite valves at its origin ; air bladder, if present,
not cellular ; exoskeleton typically of scales, either ctenoid or
cycloid TKLEOSTET, page 201.

FISHES. 201

SUB-CLASS II. Tail lieterocercal ; optic nerves forming a chiasma ;
arterial bulb with several rows of valves ; air bladder fre-
quently cellular and lung-like ; exoskeleton typically of bony
plates GANOIDEI, page 212.

ORDERS OF TELEOSTEI.

Gills pectinated — of the ordinary sort, not tuft-like.

I. Maxillaries normally developed and normally distinct from
each other ; gills not in the axils ; typical fishes (characters
too various to be here summarized). . TELEOCEPHALI, Z.

II. With 4 to 8 long barbels about the mouth, the longest of

which is a continuation of the incomplete maxillary;
subopercle wanting; ventrals abdominal; usually an adi-
pose fin and dorsal and pectoral spines; skin naked or
with bony plates ; chiefly in fresh water.

NEMATOGNATHI, AA.

III. Maxillaries rudimentary or wanting; scapular arch free
from skull; body elongated, serpentiform, with a long
dorsal and anal, which meet around the tail ; no ventral
fins; scales small or none; jaws with teeth; chiefly
marine APODES, BB.

IV. Carpal bones elongated, forming a kind of arm which sup-

ports the pectorals, in the axils of which are the small gill
openings; ventrals jugular, with 4 or 5 soft rays; body
scaleless or tuberculate ; head very large ; marine.

PEDICULATI, page 211.

V. Intermaxillaries immovably united with the maxillaries ;

skin rough, often covered with spines or ganoid plates ;

ventral fins wanting ; marine. PLECTOGNATHI, page 212.

** Gills small, tuft-like, largest at their free tips ; body covered

with bony plates ; mouth small, toothless, at the end of the

long snout ; no ventral fins ; marine.

LOPHOBRANCHII, page 212.

Z. SUB- ORDERS OF TELEOCEPHALI.

I. Body flat, unsymmetrical ; both eyes on the upper or colored

side; ventrals jugular. . . HETEROSOMATA, page 208.

II. Bones of snout prolonged into a long tube which bears the

short jaws at the end. . . HEMIBRANCHII, page 209.

202 FISHES.

III. With two or more free spines in place of first dorsal ; ventrals
sub-abdominal, of a stout spine and a small ray ; small fishes
scaleless or with bony plates. . HEMIBRANCHII, page 209.

IV. Dorsal fins two, distinct, small, the first of 4 to 7 spines ; ven-

trals abdominal; teeth feeble or wanting; scales cycloid,
' silvery . PERCESOCES, page 208.

V. With the first rays of the dorsal, or the whole first dorsal, of

simple — usually stiff spines; first ray of ventral usually
inarticulate (spinous dorsal forming a hump in Cydopterus ;
a lamellated sucking disk in EcJieneis, etc., wanting altogether
in Aspidoplwroides and Gobiesox). ACANTHOPTERI, page 203.

VI. Fin rays soft and articulated (excepting occasionally one or

two in dorsal or anal) ; no ventral spines ; scales when pres-
-ent, usually cycloid.
* Ventrals jugular ; dorsal and anal long, often divided.

ANACANTHINI, page 208.
** Ventrals abdominal.

f Mouth entirely toothless ; abdomen not serrated ; lower
pharyngeals falciform, tooth-bearing; no adipose fin;
head naked ; fresh water. . EVENTOGNATHI, page 211.

ff Body elongated, scaly ; a series of keeled scales along sides
of abdomen ; lower pharyngeals united (as in Ldbridm) ;
no air duct ; no adipose fin ; no ventral serratures ; one
or both jaws or else pectoral fins greatly elongated;
chiefly marine. . . SYNENTOGNATHI, page 209.

fff Head more or less scaly (naked in Ambtyopsis, the Cave
Blind Fish) ; both jaws fully provided with teeth ; lower
jaw usually longest; dorsal far back, nearly opposite
anal; no adipose fin, ventral serratures, nor peculiar
scales ; chiefly fresh water. . HAPLOMI, page 209.

ffff Soft -rayed fishes showing none of the above combina-
tions of characters ; head naked ; adipose fin or abdominal
serratures often present; dentition and habitat various.

ISOSPONDYLI, page 210.
*** Ventrals entirely wanting.

| Jaws with teeth ; vent at the throat ; body oblong ; cave

fishes HAPLOMI, page 209.

$ Jaws toothless; vent normal; body serpentiform.

ANACANTHINI, page 208.

FISHES. 203

FAMILIES OF ACANTHOPTERL

1. With 5 to 9 detached finlets behind dorsal and anal ; dorsals

two ; scales small or none. . Scorribridce, the Mackerels.

2. Upper jaw prolonged into a "sword " ; teeth feeble or wanting;

scaleless ; size large. . . Xiphiidm, the Sword-FisJm.

3. Tail ending in a sharp point; no caudal norventrals; teeth

strong. .... Trichiuridw, the Hair-Tails.

4. First dorsal on the top of head, modified into a lamellated

sucking disk. . . . Echeneidida, the Remoras.

5. Ventral fins completely united, sometimes forming a sucking

disk.

— Dorsals two, distinct ; body scaly or not. . GOBIIIXE, 96.

— Dorsal single ; spinous dorsal enveloped in skin, forming a

hump in the adult ; scaleless, tuberculate.

Cydopteridm, the Lump-Suckers.

— Dorsal single ; body elongated ; scaleless ; small fishes often

parasitic in shells of Mollusks. Liparididw, the Sea Snails.

6. Ventral fins wide apart, with a sucking disk between them ;

dorsal spineless, on the tail. GobiesocidcB, the Pike-Suckers.

7. With a stout, sharp spine on each side of tail ; body much com-

pressed. .... Acanthuridce, the Surgeons.

8. With several unconnected spines in place of the first dorsal.

— Tail with a keel on each side. Carangida, the Pilot Fishes.

— Anal fin preceded by two free spines ; body compressed and

elevated. . . . Garangidce, the Pilot Fishes.

— Tail not keeled; jaws toothless; body very long and slender.

Ammodytidm, the Sand Launces.

— Tail without a keel ; jaws with teeth.

Body long ; snout elongated. JSlacatidce, the Crab-Eaters.
Body short, compressed ; snub-nosed.

StromateidcB, the Harvest Fishes.

9. With none of the preceding combinations..

* With two distinct dorsal fins — rarely slightly connected by

membrane at the base.
f Body with developed scales or bony plates, large or small.

204 FISHES.

Small fresh water fishes (1 to 6 inches long) ; elongated
or fusiform, often brightly colored; the fins — espe-
cially the pectorals— well developed ; anal spines one or
two ; air bladder rudimentary. ETHEOSTOMID,<E, 89.

2. Pectoral fins very long, reaching at least to anal, with 3

detached appendages or else several connected, forming
an additional fin • cheeks mailed ; head bony.

Triglidce, the Gurnards.

3. With 7 or 8 filiform appendages on each side below the

pectorals ; cheeks not mailed.

Polynemidw, the Thread-Fishes.

4. Throat with two long barbels. MullidcB, the Surmullets.

5. Dorsal spines only two; scales minute, imbedded in the

skin. . . . Rhypticidw, the Soap Fishes.

6. Ventrals abdominal ; body elongated ; scales cycloid ;

teeth stout. . . Sphyranidce, the Barracudas.

7. With none of the above combinations ; ventrals mostly

thoracic.
a. Some or all of opercular bones, more or less serrated

or spinous.
&. With teeth on the vomer.

c. First dorsal low and weak of 8 spines ; scales small ;

one or more minute spines in front of anal ;

teeth strong. . Pomatomidce, the Blue Fishes.

cc. Dorsal spines stout ; scales ctenoid ; no free anal

spines.

d. Ventrals 1-5 ; branchiostegals usually 7.
e. Cleft of mouth horizontal or oblique ; scales
firm.

— Anal spines 2, sometimes obscure.

PERCID^:, 90.

— Anal spines 3, distinct. . LABRACHXE, 91.
ee. Cleft of mouth nearly vertical ; scales large,

deciduous. Chilodipterida?, the Apogons.

dd. Ventrals 1-7 ; branchiostegals 8 ; anal spines 4.

Berycidce, the Berycoids,

FISHES. 205

bb. No teeth on the vomer ; anal spines 1 or 2 ; lateral
line usually running up on the caudal fin.

SCI^ENIDJE, 94.

aa. Edges of opercular bones entire.
/. Scales well developed, not enlarged along lateral line ;
chin often with barbels ; no free spines.

Scicenidw, the Maigres.
ff. Scales minute ; no barbels.

g. Body more or less compressed and elevated ; scales

sometimes enlarged along lateral line ; usually

2 free anal spines. Carangidce, the Pilot Fishes.

gg. Body long and low ; no free spines nor lateral

shields Gobiida, the Gobies.

ft Body entirely scaleless.
h. Body more or less depressed ; eyes high up on the broad

head ; caudal usually rounded.

*. Dorsal with 4 spines; ventrals jugular 1,5; mouth
vertical. . . Uranoscopidce, the Star Gazers,
u. Dorsal with 3 spines; ventrals jugular I, 2; mouth
broad, with conical teeth.

Batrachidce, the Toad Fishes.

Hi. Dorsal spines 6 or more ; ventrals thoracic ; cheeks
mailed (i. e., the sub -orbital bone extending back-
ward over the cheek, articulating with the pre-
opercle).

— Spinous dorsal shortest, its middle rays highest ;

head without barbels. . . COTTUME, 95.

— Spinous dorsal longest, notched, its first rays highest ;

head with many fleshy slips.

HemitripteridcBj the Sea Ravens.

hh. Body greatly compressed ; the eyes lateral or anterior ;
fins often filamentous ; tail usually slender, the caudal
fin widely forked.

.;". A series of bony shields along base of second dorsal.

Zenidce, the John Dories,
jj. No bony shields ; usually two free anal spines.

Carangidw, the Pilot Fishes

206 PISHES.

** Dorsal fin single, not divided to its base.
k. Fresh water species.

I. Ventrals I, 5; dorsal spines 8 to 12; vent normal.

m. Teeth on vomer ; anal spines 3 to 9. ICHTHELID^E, 92.

mm. No teeth on vomer ; anal with 2 (or 1) spines, the

second very strong. . . . SCMENID^, 94.

II. Ventrals 7-rayed; dorsal spines 3; vent jugular.

APHREDODERnXE, 93.

Kk. Marine species.

1. Cheeks mailed (as in Cottidce, etc.)

n. Body covered with bony, keeled plates ; no dorsal
spines. . . . Agonidce, the Sea Poachers.

nn. Body with ordinary scales ; spinous dorsal many-
rayed. . . Scorpcenidce, the Sea Scorpions.

2. With broad, cutting, incisor -like front teeth, or with

crushing, molar-like lateral teeth or both ; scales rather
large ; usually a recumbent free spine in front of the
dorsal fin.
o. Opercular bones entire ; vertical fins not much scaly.

SparidcB) the Sea Breams.

oo. Preopercle denticulated ; soft parts of vertical fins
densely scaly. . Pimelepterid®, the Fat-Fins.

3. Body much compressed and elevated ; the soft rays of the

vertical fins covered high up with ctenoid scales ; teeth
villiform ; body often dark-banded.
p. Dorsal with less than 10 spines, separated by a notch
from the soft part; spinous dorsal scaleless.

Epliippidm, the Moon FisJm.

pp. Dorsal undivided, with 10 or more spines, scaly
throughout; fins often filamentous.

ChcetodontidcB, the Chcetodonts.

4. Ventrals wanting ; scales minute ; body high, much

compressed. . Stromateidce, the Harvest Fishes.

5. Ventrals jugular, few-rayed or wanting; body long and

low ; dorsal fin very long, occupying most of the back,
at least half of it and sometimes all composed of flexible
spines ; scales small or none ; usually an anal papilla.

FISHES. 207

#. Ventrals present.
r. Dorsal with both spines and soft rays.

Blenniidce, the Blennies.
rr. Dorsal composed of spines only.
s. Lateral line usually present and sometimes dupli-
cated; head conic; compressed; pyloric coeca
present. . StichcBidce, the Snake Blennies.
88. No lateral line ; ventrals I, 1 ; no pyloric coeca ;
teeth, small, acute. Xiphidiontidce, the Gunnels,
qq. No ventral fins.

t. Gill openings wide ; scales rudimentary ; cleft of
mouth not vertical ; teeth strong.

Anarrhichadidce, the Wolf Fishes.
ft. Gill openings moderate ; no scales ; cleft of mouth
nearly vertical ; dorsal of spines only ; body almost
eel-like. . Cryptacanthidce, the Glwst Fishes.
6. With none of the preceding combinations.
u. Ventrals jugular, 4-rayed ; dorsal very high and long.
Bramidce, the Winged Dolphins,
uu. Ventrals thoracic,. I, 5.

v. Dorsal of 50 or more rays running from head to tail ;
the spinous part not differentiated.

Coryphcenidw, the Dolphins,
m. Dorsal shorter, the two sorts of rays different.
w. Lateral line interrupted.

x. Scales ctenoid ; dorsal spines 13 ; depth more
than half length.

Pomacentridce, the Demoiselles.

xx. Scales cycloid ; dorsal spines 9 ; depth less than

half length. . Ldbrida, the Wrasse Fishes.

ww. Lateral line continuous.

y. Opercle or preopercle or both distinctly serrated.

z. Spinous dorsal longer than the soft part, of 18
spines which are tipped with little mem-
branous appendages ; scales cycloid.

Ldbridce, the Wrasse Fislies.

208 FISHES.

zz. Dorsal spines 8, very low, nearly equal and
scarcely connected ; snout blunt.

Stromateidce, the Harvest Fishes,
zzz. With neither of the preceding combinations.
a. No teeth on vomer.

Pristipomatidw, the Red Mouths.
aa. Teeth on vomer.
6. Canines present ; branchiostegals 7.

Serranidm, the Sea Bass,
bb. No canines ; branchiostegals 6 ; eyes
large. . Priacanthidm, the Big Eyes.
yy. Opercular bones with entire edges.
c. Dorsal with nine to 20 spines ; anal III, 8 or
more ; lips large, fleshy.

Labridcu, the Wrasse Fishes,
cc. Dorsal with 9 spines ; anal III, 7.

GerridcB, the Gerroids.

FAMILIES OF ANACANTHINI.

* Ventrals jugular, sometimes rudimentary.

f Caudal fin developed as a separate fin ; lateral line continuous.

GADIDJE, 97.
ft Caudal fin not separate, dorsal and anal confluent around the

tail.

\ Ventral fins developed, 4-rayed. Lycodida, the Eel Pouts.
ft Ventral fins replaced by a pair of bifid filaments.

Ophidiida, the Cusk Eels.
** Ventral fins entirely wanting.

a. Vent remote from the head. Ammodytidce, the Sand Launces.
aa. Vent at the throat ; size small. Fierasferidw, the Fierasfers.
FAMILIES OF HETEROSOMATA.

* Pectoral fins well developed. . Pleuronectidm, the Flounders.
** Pectoral fins wanting or rudimentary. . Soleidce, the Soles.

FAMILIES OF PERCESOCES.

* First dorsal with 5 to 7 flexible spines ; body elongated ; sides

with a distinct silvery band. . . ATHERINID.E, 99.

FISHES. 209

** First dorsal with 4 stiff spines; body compressed; no lateral
band Mugilidce, the Mullets.

FAMILIES OF HEMIBRANCHII.

* Bones of head moderately produced ; ventral fins of a stout

spine and a rudimentary ray ; dorsal preceded by free spines ;

scaleless, naked or with bony plates; an oblong, silvery,

* naked area in front of pectorals. . GASTEROSTEID^E, 98.

** Bones of head much produced, forming a long tube which

bears the short jaws at the end; ventral fins without spine.
f Body compressed ; no teeth ; scales small ; dorsal fins two ;
first with spines. . . Centriscidce, the Snipe Fishes.
ft Body greatly elongated ; teeth present ; no scales ; no dorsal
spines; middle rays of caudal produced into a long fila-
ment. . . . Fistulariidw, the Trumpet Fishes.

FAMILIES OF SYNENTOGNATHI.

* Jaws one or both elongated into a long beak.

f Both jaws elongated; no finlets; size large. »

Belonidce, the Gar -Fishes.

ft Lower jaw only elongate, or else dorsal and anal with
detached finlets, as in the Mackerels.

Scomberesocidce, the Sauries.

** Jaws moderate ; pectorals elongated, nearly as long as body,
used for " flying." . . Exocatidce, the Flying Fislies.

FAMILIES OF HAPLOMI.

* Snout depressed and elongated, its length more than half the

greatest depth of body ; jaws, vomer, palate and tongue armed
with strong, hooked teeth ; body elongated, sub-terete ; size
large ; in fresh water ESOCH^E, 102.

** Snout rounded and rather short, its length being less than half
the greatest depth of body ; teeth moderate ; size small.

f Vent jugular, in front of pectorals ; eyes often undeveloped ;
ventrals small or wanting; cave fishes. AMBLYOPSID.E, 103.

ft Vent normal : eyes present; ventrals well developed,
14

210 FISHES.

\ Margin of upper jaw formed laterally by maxillaries ; lateral

line inconspicuous ; small dusky fishes of muddy brooks ;

usually a black bar at base of caudal. UMBKID^B, 101.
^Entire margin of upper jaw formed by intermaxillaries ;

head depressed ; small fishes of brackish or fresh waters,

often barred or striped with black.

CYPBENODONTID^E, 100.

FAMILIES OF ISOSPONDYLI.

* Body entirely scaleless ; deep sea fishes,
f No adipose fin ; throat with a long barbel ; pectorals rudi-
mentary Stomiatidce, the Stomiatoids.

\\ An adipose fin ; no barbel ; belly with phosphorescent spots.

Scopelidce, the Scopelids.
** Body scaly ; head naked ; scales sometimes small and imbedded,

sometimes large and deciduous.
\ An adipose dorsal fin ; belly rounded.
a. Margin of upper jaws formed by intermaxillaries alone.
b. Scales cycloid ; deep sea fishes.

Synodontidce, the Synodonts.
Ib. Scales ctenoid ; fresh water fishes ; no teeth on vomer or

palate PERCOPSDXE, 104.

aa. Lateral margins of upper jaw formed by maxillaries;

scales cycloid ; in all waters. . SALMONLD^E, 105.

\\ No adipose dorsal; lateral margin of upper jaw formed by

maxillaries which are usually composed of three pieces ;

scales rather large.

c. Abdomen compressed to an edge which is serrated ; lateral
line obsolete ; teeth very small or wanting ; in all waters.

CLUPEID.E, 107.

cc. Abdomen compressed but not serrated; jaws, vomer and
tongue with strong teeth; scales large, silvery; body
compressed ; lateral line well developed ; fresh water.

HYODONTID^E, 106.

ccc. Abdomen rounded ; teeth various ; marine.
d. Upper jaw longest.
e. Lower jaw toothless; sides with bright silvery band.

) the Anchovies.

FISHES. 211

ee. Both jaws with bands of villiform teeth ; roof and floor
of mouth with coarse patches.

AlbuUdcB, the Lady Fishes.
dd. Lower jaw longest.

/. No gular plates ; no lateral line ; anal short.

Dussumieridce, the Round Herrings.

ff. A narrow bony plate between branches of lower jaw

(much as in Amia). . Elopidw, the Jew Fishes.

FAMILIES OF EVENTOGNATHI.

* Pharyngeal teeth in small number (not more than 7) and com-

paratively large ; dorsal with 7 to 12 rays (in American spe-
cies) ; mouth moderately or not protractile ; lips scarcely or
not enlarged ; species mostly of small size (2 to 15 inches)

Dace and Minnows CYPKINID^E, 108.

** Pharyngeal teeth very numerous, small ; mouth very protrac-
tile, roundish when protruded, with enlarged, fleshy lips ;
dorsal with 1 1 to 40 rays ; species often of large size. Suckers.

CATOSTOMID^:, 109.

AA. FAMILIES OF NEMATOGNATHI.

* Margin of upper jaw formed by intermaxillaries only; maxil-

lary rudimentary, forming the base of a long barbel.

SILUBID^E, 110.
BB. FAMILIES OF APODES.

* Gape moderate ; stomach ordinary ; gill openings narrow.

f Scales rudimentary ; dorsal beginning at a considerable dis-
tance behind head ; fishes of shores or fresh waters.

ANGUILLID^E, 111.

ff Scaleless ; dorsal beginning close behind base of pectorals ;
deep sea fishes. . . . Congridm, the Conger Eels.
** Gape of mouth enormously wide, leading to an excessively
distensible stomach ; tail band - like, tapering to a fine fila-
ment. .... Saccopharyngidce, the Oulpers.

FAMILIES OF PEDICULATI.

* Head very broad ; depressed.

f Skin smooth, slimy; teeth strong, card -like; dorsal VI — 8,
or more; the first three spines isolated, tentacle-like, on
the head, . . . Lophiidw, the Fishing Frogs.

212 FISHES.

ft Skin with conical tubercles; teeth villiform; dorsal I — 4;
the spine tentacle -like, retractile into a cavity beneath a
prominent protuberance on forehead.

MaltheidcB, the Sea Bats.
** Head high, compressed ; teeth card-like.

Antennariidce, the Diablos.

FAMILIES OF PLECTOGNATHI.

* Jaws modified into a sort of beak, without distinct teeth.

f Both jaws divided by a median suture (teeth fused into two
in each jaw); belly greatly inflatable.

Tetrodontidm, the Puffers.

f f Jaws without median suture ; belly scarcely or not inflatable.
\ Body scarcely compressed, spinous, with a distinct caudal

fin Diodontidce, the Box Fishes.

\$ Body much compressed, very short, truncate ; the vertical
fins more or less confluent.

Orthagoriscidm, the Globe Fishes.
** Jaws with distinct teeth.
a. Front teeth incisor-like ; 1 to 3 dorsal spines ; no carapace.

Balistidce, the File Fishes.

aa. Teeth slender ; no dorsal spines ; body enveloped in a box-
like carapace, formed of hexagonal bony plates; snout,
bases of fins and tail free, covered with skin.

Ostraciontidm, the Trunk Fishes.

FAMILIES OF LOPHOBRANCHII.

* Tail prehensile, without caudal fin ; body abruptly contracted

at base of tail ; head crested, out of line of axis of body.

Hippocampida, the Sea Horses.

** Tail not prehensile, with a developed caudal ; body gradually
tapering; direction of head in a line with axis of body.

SyngnathidcB, the Pipe Fishes.

ORDERS OF GANOIDEI.

* Skeleton bony; body scaly; air bladder cellular, lunglike

(HYOGANOIDEI).
f Scales cycloid ; snout short, broad. . CYCLOGANOIDEI, CC,

FISHES. 213

\ f Scales ganoid, diamond-shaped, enamelled plates ; snout

lengthened, depressed. . . RHOMBOGANOIDEI, DD.

** Skeleton chiefly cartilaginous ; body naked or with 3 to 5 rows

of bony bucklers ; vertical fins with fulcra. (CHOKDROGAN-

OIDEI.)

J Mouth terminal, broad ; lower jaw, maxillaries and palate

with many minute, deciduous teeth. SELACHOSTOMI, EE.

ft Mouth narrow, inferior, toothless. . CHONDROSTEI, FF.

CC. FAMILIES OF CYCLOGANOIDEI.

* A broad bony plate between branches of lower jaw; vertical

fins without fulcra; dorsal fin very long of more than 40
rays ; body stout AMIIIX<E, 112.

DD. FAMILIES OF RHOMBOGANOIDEI.

* Vertical fins with fulcra ; dorsal short, far back, of less than 12

rays ; body elongated. . . . LEPIDOSTEIDJS, 113.

EE. FAMILIES OF SELACHOSTOMI.

* Skin naked ; snout produced into a flat blade ; opercle with a

long flap POLYODONTIIXE, 114.

FF. FAMILIES OF CHONDROSTEI.

* Body with 5 rows of bony shields (rarely deciduous) ; snout

produced ; four barbels in front of mouth.

AdPENSERUXE, 115.

214 FISHES.

j5ut) z otiasg. — STelensteu

(The Bony Fishes.)

Skeleton more or less ossified; tail homocercal; optic
nerves simply crossing, without chiasma; arterial bulb
simple, with two opposite valves at its origin; air
bladder, if present, not lung - like ; body usually scaly,
sometimes covered with naked skin or bony plates;
membrane bones (opercles, etc.) developed in relation to
the skull. This group comprises the great majority of'
recent fishes.

OEDEE Z.-TELEOGEPHALI.

(The Typical FisJies)

This order again comprises the vast majority of recent
fishes, and is characterized rather negatively, as wanting
the peculiarities of the other orders than as having any
positive distinctions of its own. The maxillaries are
normally developed and distinct from each other, never
forming the base of a long barbel. The gills are pecti-
nated and of the ordinary pattern, and the gill-openings
are in front of the pectorals and never very narrow; the
subopercle is present. The scales are (when present)
very rarely ossified, and are generally either ctenoid or
cycloid. This group includes the Acanthopterygians
and Malacopterygians of Cuvier, and the nearly cor-
responding Ctenoidei and Cycloidei, Physoclysti ami

ETHEOSTOMTD^. — LXXXIX. 215

Physostomi of later writers; but however different the
extremes of each (as Percoids and Cyprinoids) may be,
the intervening forms are too closely related to render
it possible to characterize them as distinct orders.

SUB-OEDER-ACAISTTHOPTEEI.

( The Spiny-rayed 'Fishes.)

FAMILY LXXXIX. — ETHEOSTOMID^E.

(The Darters.)

Fresh water fishes of small size, closely related to the
Percidce, but so peculiar in many respects that it seems
preferable to consider them as forming a distinct family.
Dorsal fins two, generally connected by membrane at the
base, the second and often both dorsals high and large ;
anal usually well developed, with one or two spines;
pectorals (except in one or two species) very large and
broad, often reaching beyond base of anal; caudal large,
rounded or slightly forked; scales ctenoid, sometimes
absent on neck or belly, or both; head usually more or
less scaly; teeth well developed on jaws and usually
on vomer; eyes large; air bladder rudimentary; "sub-
orbital arch incomplete." Colors often very bright;
species of Pcecilichthys and Diplesium being the most
brilliantly colored fresh water fishes known ; sexual differ-
ences usually recognizable, the females being as a rule
duller in color and more speckled or barred. In most
species there is a dark streak from eye to snout, and
often a dark vertical bar below the eye. Genera ten, or
fewer; species about thirty, all belonging to the U. S.
and Mexico, east of the Rocky Mountains, being most
abundant in the Mississippi Valley, where sometimes all
the genera may be found in the same stream.

216 ' FISHES.

Most of them prefer clear running water, where they
lie on the bottom concealed under stones, darting when
frightened or hungry with great velocity for a short
distance by a powerful movement of the fan -shaped
pectorals, then stopping as suddenly. They rarely use
the caudal fin in swimming, and they are never seen
moving or floating freely in the water like most fishes.
When at rest they support themselves on their extended
ventrals and anal. Pleurolepis, unlike the others, pre-
fers a sandy bottom, where, by an almost instantaneous
plunge, it buries itself in the sand and remains quiescent
for hours at a time, with only its eyes and snout visible.
All are carnivorous, and, in their way, voracious. All
are of small size, the largest (Percina) reaches a length
of about eight inches, while the smallest (Microperca),
which is the smallest spiny -rayed fish known, barely
attains a length of an inch and a half.

* Lateral line incomplete or wanting ; body normally more or
less compressed; jaws nearly even, lower jaw sometimes
projecting. (PCECILICHTHYIN^E.)
f No lateral line ; dorsal spines 6 or 7 ; fins barred.

MICROPERCA, 1.

ff Lateral line present on anterior part of body.
a. Dorsal fins slightly connected at base.
b. Spinous dorsal very low, scarcely more than half as
high as soft part, commonly of 8 spines; spines in
adult (male) ending in little fleshy knobs, in others
pointed ; color plain or with black bare and lines of
dots; a black shoulder spot; fins with black lines,
but no red or blue shades. . . CATONOTUS, 2.
66. Spinous dorsal not low, nearly as high as the soft part ;
dorsal spines 10 to 12 ; colors brilliant ; fins (in males
at least) with bright shades of red and blue.
c. Throat and breast deep blue ; dark dots along the rows
of scales; a dark shoulder spot; sides often with
red dots, but not notably barred. NOTHONOTUS, 3.

ETHEOSTOMID^E. — LXXXIX. 217

cc. Throat and breast orange ; coloration chiefly in verti-
cal bars rarely in lines or spots; no shoulder blotch.

PCECILICHTHYS, 4.

aa. Dorsal fins entirely separate ; dorsal spines 8 to 10 ; lateral
line curved upward over pectorals ; small, slender spe-
cies, often with red spots along the sides.

BOLEICHTHYS 5.

** Lateral line present, obvious throughout its course ; body
normally more or less cylindrical ; upper jaw more or less
projecting beyond the lower.

$ Scales obvious only ajong lateral line, ventral region entirely
naked; body much elongated, translucent; dorsal spines

10. (PLEUROLEPIN.E.) . . . PLEUROLEPIS, 6.

fy Body scaly throughout, or naked only on throat or neck.

(ETHEOSTOMIN^E.)
d. Mouth scarcely inferior; lower jaw but little shorter than

upper ; vomer with teeth.

e. Anal spine single, sometimes obscure; -mouth small,

horizontal; soft dorsal usually larger than anal or

than spinous dorsal; the latter of 9 (rarely 10) spines;

back tessellated. . . . . BOLEOSOMA, 7.

ee Anal with two distinct spines.

/. Mouth large ; soft dorsal not much larger than anal or
than spinous dorsal, the latter with 10 to 15 spines;
sides usually with dark bars or a chain of confluent
dark blotches; no red nor blue markings, nor nar-
row lines of dots.

g. Belly with a series of enlarged mucronate plates
along the middle line (sometimes falling off, leav-
ing a naked strip.) . . ETHEOSTOMA, 8.
gg. Belly without enlarged plates at any time.

HYPOHOMUS, 9.

ff. Mouth moderate ; dorsal spines about 12; body with-
out large bars or blotches, but each scale with a
dark spot, these forming fine lengthwise lines;
throat with blue ; fins in $ with red and blue.

NOTHONOTUS, 3.

dd. Mouth decidedly inferior, very small.
10

218 FISHES.

7i. Vomer roughish, but without teeth ; head very short and
rounded; muzzle blunt; cheeks swollen; soft dorsal
larger than anal ; dorsal spines 10 to 14 ; sides with
green blotches or markings. . DIPLESIUM, 10.

lili. Vomer with teeth ; head long, pointed ; the muzzle
conic, truncate at tip, projecting like a hog's snout;
dorsal spines about 13 ; sides with dark bars, alternately
long and short ; a small black spot at base of caudal.

PERCINA, 11.

/. MICROPERCA, Putnam. LEAST DARTERS.
1. M. punctulata, Putnam. LEAST DARTER. Greenish
olive, sides with irregular dark bars and zigzag markings;
dusky lines along the rows of scales; a dark shoulder
blotch; a black streak forward from eye and a vertical
bar below it; D. VI to VII— 9 to 12; A. II, 5 or 6;
length 1^ inches. Western and Southern States.

2. CATONOTUS, Agassiz. LINED DARTERS.

1. C. flabellatus, (Raf.) Putnam. FAN-TAILED DART-
ER. Olivaceous, dusky above ; sides with obscure dusky-
bars; each scale with a brownish spot, these sometimes
forming series of longitudinal lines but never very
distinct ones; head narrow; mouth oblique; body rather
slender; D. VIII— 12; A. II, 8; length 2| inches.
Great Lakes and streams from N. Y., S. and W., abund-
ant. (E. linsleyi) H. R. Storer. Oligocephalus humer-
alis and Catonotus fasciatus^ Girard.)

2. C. lineolatus, Agassiz. STRIPED DARTER. Oliva-
ceous, each scale with a black spot, hence the body with
a series of fine dotted longitudinal lines which are very
distinct above; some (??) further marked with dark cross
bars; D. VIII— 12; A. II, 8. Great Lakes and Missis-
sippi Valley, rather northward; body deeper and colors
much brighter than in the preceding, of which it is
probably a variety.

ETHEOSTOMID^E. — LXXXIX. 219

3. NOTHQNQTUS, Agassiz. TROUT DARTERS.

1. N. niger, (Raf.) Jordan. TROUT DARTER. BLUE-
BREASTED DARTER. Dark olive; head blackish above;
breast and throat deep blue; sides greenish, sprinkled
with carmine dots, much as in a trout; series of oliva-
ceous lines along the rows of scales; vertical fins chiefly
orange at base with a bright blue edging, in $ merely
speckled; lateral line nearly complete; D. XII — 13
(D. X, Raf. Kirt.); A. II, 8; length 2J inches. Ohio
Valley, not common, one of the handsomest of our fishes;
the coloration is often quite dark. [C. maculatus, (Kirt.)
Jordan.] I have hitherto referred this genus to Catonotus,
but the two genera must either be . kept separate or
both united with Poecilichthys.

2. N. punctu/atus, Ag. DOTTED DARTER. Greenisn,
mottled with black; fins all dotted; D. IX — 13; A. II, 8.
Mo.; Ark. (Boleichthys whipplei, Grd.)

4. P(ECILICHTHYS, Agassiz. RAINBOW DARTERS.

= Astatichthys, Le Vaillant.

1. P. c&ruleus, (Stor.) Ag. BLUE DARTER. RAIN-
BOW FISH. BLUE JOHNNY. Olivaceous, tessellated above,
the spots running together into blotches ; back without
black lengthwise stripes; sides with about twelve indigo
blue bars running obliquely downward, most distinct
behind, separated by rich orange interspaces; caudal
deep orange, edged with bright blue; anal orange, with
deep blue in front and behind; soft dorsal chiefly orange,
blue at base and tip; spinous dorsal crimson at base,
then orange, with blue edgings; ventrals bluish, often
deep indigo blue ; cheeks blue ; throat and breast orange,
these two shades very constant; $ much duller, with but
little or no blue or orange, the vertical fins barred or

220 . FISHES.

checked; colors fade in alcohol; body short and stout;
head large; D. X— 12; A. II, 7; lat. 1. 45; length 2 to 3
inches. Mississippi Valley, abundant; the most gaily
colored of all the Darters.

2. P. specfabi/is, Ag. STRIPED BLUE DARTER. Like
the preceding and equally brilliant, but larger and more
compressed, and more elongate ; back with distinct black-
ish stripes along the rows of scales, pattern of coloration
similar, but the colors having a clear or bleached appear-
ance; with the other, but less abundant; often found in
muddy water where P. cceruleus never ventures; still it
is perhaps a variety.

3. P. zonal is, Cope. ZONED DARTER. Olivaceous,
golden below; six dark brown quadrate spots along the
back, connected by alternating spots with a brown lateral
band from which eight narrow bands encircle the belly;
lower fins yellow with brown spots; spinous dorsal with
a crimson band; a series of crimson spots on base of
soft dorsal; black spot on opercle, occiput and base of
pectorals; black bars downward from eye and forward;
D. XI— 12; A. II, 7; lat. 1. 52. Indiana to Tenn.

5. BOLEICHTHYS, Girard. RED- SIDED DARTERS.
> Hololepis, Agassiz.

1. B. fusiformis, (Grd.) Jordan. FUSIFORM DARTER.
Lateral line on 12 scales, reaching middle of first dorsal;
head 3J- in length; yellowish brown; spotted; D. VIII—
9; A. II, 7; lat. 1. 52. Charles R., Mass.

2. B. erochrous, (Cope) Jordan. RED- SIDED DARTER.
Lateral line extending to middle of first dorsal on 12 to
16 scales; head 4 in length; sides with dusky band,
interrupted by red dots; D. IX— 10; A. II, 7; lat. 1. 44.
New Jersey.

ETHEOSTOMIDJE. — LXXXIX. 221

3. B. exiliSf Girard. SLENDER RED-SIDED DARTER.
Lateral line on 22 to 28 scales, about reaching end of first
dorsal; head 3f in length; caudal peduncle much
elongated; olivaceous brown, with zigzag markings, sides
with about ten red spots, separated by brown interspaces;
first dorsal bluish at base, red above; other fins reddish
and barred; oblique streaks downward and forward from
eye; D. IX or X— 9 to 10; A. II, 7; lat. 1. 60; length 2
inches. Wisconsin to Idaho; abundant in clear brooks.

6. PLEUROLEPIS, Agassiz. PELLUCID DARTERS.
1. P. pel lucid us, Agassiz. SAND DARTER. Depth 6
to 8 in length; body nearly cylindrical; head elongated,
pointed; scales small, finely dotted, far apart, and deeply
imbedded; fins small; color pinkish white, pellucid in
life, with a series of small, squarish, olive (blue) blotches
along back, and another along sides, the spots connected
by a gilt line; D. X— 9; A. II, 6; length 2 to 3 inches.
Ohio Valley, in sandy streams; one of the most interest-
ing of our fishes.

7. BOLEOSOMA, DeKay. TESSELLATED DARTERS

> Arlina and Estrella, Grd.

* Dorsal, with 9 spines ; soft dorsal much larger than anal.
(Soleosoma.)

1. B. olmstedi, (Storer) Ag. TESSELLATED DARTER.
Fins stouter and higher than in the next; depth 5^ in
length; head 4dt; olivaceous, fins barred; back tessel-
lated; a black streak forward, and another downward
from eye; cheeks and opercles scaly; neck and throat
bare; D. IX — 14; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 50. New England to
Wisconsin; abundant eastward. Western specimens
generally have D. IX, 12, and perhaps vary into the
next. (JB. tessellatum, DeK.)

222 FISHES.

Var. atromacu/ata, (Grd.) has the neck and throat
scaly.

2. B. effulgens, (Girard) Cope. " LITTLE JOHNNY."
SLIM DARTER. Paler and more distinctly tessellated;
brownish yellow; upper surface dotted with brown, the
spots forming a few dark bars on back; a dark line from
eye to snout; and sometimes a bar below eye; smaller
and slenderer than the preceding, with smaller fins; eye
as long as the narrow, pointed snout; cheeks, opercles,
neck and throat naked; D. IX — 12; A. I, 8 to I, 10;
lat. 1. 45. E. U. S., abundant, west of the Alleganies.

** Dorsal with 10 spines ; anal as large as soft dorsal. (Cottogaster,
Putnam.)

3. B. tessellation, Thompson, nee DeK. VERMONT
DARTER. L. Champlain.

8. ETHEOSTOMA, Rafinesque. BLACK-SIDED DARTERS.

< Hadropterus, Ag.

> Diplesion and Alvordius, Grd.

1. E. blennioides, Kirtland (nee. Raf.) BLACK-SIDED
DARTER. BLENNY DARTER. Head long, pointed, 4 in
length; depth 5 to 5£; belly with a series of caducous
plates along the middle line (shed at some seasons.)
Straw yellow, with dark tessellations and about seven
large blotches along the sides, partly confluent, thus
forming a moniliform band; D. XIII, to XV— 12; A. II,

9. Ohio Valley and Great Lakes; one of the most
curious and elegant of all the Darters. (? E. macro-
cephalum, Cope.) (Alvordius and Hadropterus macu-
latus, Grd.)

2. E. peltatum, Stauffer. SHIELDED DARTER. Head
shorter; sides with broad, brownish shades; ventral
shields larger; D. XII— 13; A. II, 9; lat. 1. 53. Penn.j
probably a variety of the preceding.

ETHEOSTOMID^E. — LXXXIX. 223

3. E. nigrofasciatum, ( Agassiz ) Jordan. BARRED
BLENNY DARTER. Salmon yellow, tessellated above;
sides with nine blackish vertical bars, broad and short,
almost rectangular, ending abruptly below and fading
above into the dark of the back; a black spot on last
rays of spinous dorsal ; chest bare ; second dorsal smaller
than spinous dorsal or than anal, the latter extending far
back; forward and downward streaks from eye; D. XI —
10; A. II, 9; length 2± inches. Indiana to Ark. and S.,
a pretty species, very distinct from any of the foregoing.
(Jfadropterus shumardi^ Grd.)

9. HYPOHOMUS, Cope. ORANGE -SIDED DARTERS.

1. H. aurantiacus, Cope. ORANGE DARTER. Bright
yellow, with a black lateral band formed of confluent
spots in front; a few brown spots on back; fins plain;
no ventral plates; D, XV — 15; A, II, 11; size large.
Virginia and S.

10. DIPLESIUM, Rafinesque. GREEN- SIDED DARTERS.

= Hyostoma, Agassiz.

1. D. blennioides, (Raf.) Jordan. GREEN- SIDED
DARTER. Olive green and tessellated above; sides with
a series of about seven double transverse bars, each pair
forming a Y-shaped figure; these are joined above,
making a sort of wavy lateral band; in life, these mark-
ings are of a clear deep green; sides sprinkled with
orange dots; head with olive stripes and the usual dark
bars; first dorsal dark orange brown at base; blue above
becoming pale at tip; second dorsal and anal of a rich
blue green with some reddish; caudal greenish; young
specimens much duller, but the peculiar pattern is
unmistakable; body stout; head short and thick; D.
XII to XIII— 13; A. II, 8; length 3 inches. Penn. to

224 FISHES.

Kas. and S., abundant in Indiana, one of the handsomest
of fishes. \H. cymatogrammum, (Abbott) Cope.] (? E.
vciriatum, Kirtland.) (J5T. blennioperca, Cope.)

2. D. s/moterum, ( Cope ) Copeland. SNUB - NOSED
DARTER. Body short and thick; head very short and
blunt; a series of square dark green blotches along sides
and another on the back; spotted above with red; belly
saffron; soft dorsal chiefly blood-red; first dorsal orange-
margined; D. X — 11 ; A. II, 7; lat. 1. 52; length 3 inches.
Holston R.

//. PERCINA, Haldeman. LOG PERCHES.

= Pileoma, DeKay.

1. P. caprodes, (Raf.) Girard. LOG PERCH. HOG FISH.
JACK PIKE. Salmon yellow or greenish, with about
fifteen transverse dark bands from back to belly, these
usually alternating with shorter and fainter ones reach-
ing about to lateral line; a black spot at base of caudal;
belly with a row of enlarged plates, shed at some
seasons; D. XIII— 12; A. II, 10. Great Lakes and
Western Streams, abundant, E. to L. Champlain; the
largest of the Darters, reaching a length of six or eight
inches. (P. zebra, semifasciata, nebulosa, and bimaculata
of authors.)

FAMILY XC. — PERCID^E.

(The Percys.)

Body oblong, more or less compressed, covered with
rather small, strongly ctenoid scales; opercular bones
mostly serrated; teeth in villiform bands on jaws, vomer
and palatines; mouth slightly oblique; dorsals two, dis-
tinct, both well developed; ventrals thoracic I, 5; anal
with one or two spines; branchiostegals seven; air bladder
present, moderately developed; intestinal canal with a

PERCIDJE.— XC. 225

few pyloric coeca. Carnivorous fishes of moderate or
rather large size, chiefly of the rivers of the Northern
Hemisphere. As here restricted, a small family of about
five genera and fifteen species.

* No canine teeth among the villiform ones; body compressed,

cross-banded. . PERCA, 1.

** With strong canine teeth ; body elongated. STIZOSTEDIDM, 2.

/. PERCA, Linnaeus. PERCHES.

1. P. flavescens, (Mit.) Cuv. COMMON YELLOW PERCH.
Olivaceous, sides yellowish, with broad dark bars; head
3£ in length; depth about the same; D. XIII — 14; A.
II, 7; lat. 1. 63. Fresh waters E. U. S., chiefly north-
ward and eastward.

2. STIZOSTEDIUM, Rafinesque. PIKE PERCHES.
= Lucioperca, Cuvier.

1. S. americanum, (Val.) Gill. WALL-EYED PIKE.
YELLOW PIKE. SALMON (S.) GLASS EYE. DORY. Olive
green; young yellow, with dark blotches; head 3^ in
length; depth about 4, varying with age; a dark spot on
spinous dorsal behind; D. XIV— I, 20. A. II, 13; lat.
1. 100. Great Lakes and Western Rivers, reaching a
weight of 15 Ibs. or more.

2. S. griseum, (DeKay) Milner. SAUGER. GRAY PIKE
PERCH. Paler; fins all spotted; a smaller spine above
and one below the large opercular one; fins all black-
spotted; D. XIV— I, 18; A. II, 12; lat. 1. 105. Great
Lakes; smaller than the preceding; perhaps the same
as the next.

3. S. salmoneum, Raf. WHITE SALMON OF THE OHIO.
Whitish, faintly barred; much paler than S. ameri-

15

226 DISHES.

carmm; dorsal fins high; head 3f in length; depth 5£;
D. XIV— I, 20; A. II, 11; lat. 1. 100. Ohio R. "A
handsome fish, resembling an Aspro" (Cove.)

FAMILY XCL— LABRACID^E.

(T7ie Bass.)

Percoid fishes with the general characters of the pre-
ceding family, but having three anal spines, and the
spines of the dorsal reduced in number, generally nine
or ten; teeth on the tongue in our species. Genera
fifteen; species thirty-five. Mostly of northern regions,
the majority of them marine, often entering rivers.

* No teeth on tip of tongue ; 3d anal spine longest and usually

stoutest; anal with 10 to 12 soft rays. . . Roccus, 1.

** Teeth on tip of tongue ; second anal spine stoutest ; anal with

9 soft rays ; opercular scales large. . . MORONE, 2.

/. ROCCUS, Mitchill. STRIPED BASS.
< Labrax, Cuvier.

* Body little compressed ; depth less than £ of length ; chiefly

marine. (Roccus.)

1. R. lineatus, (Bl. & Schn.) Gill. STRIPED BASS.
ROCK FISH. Silvery or yellowish, with seven or eight
longitudinal bands; D. IX— 1, 12; A. Ill, 11; lat. 1. 62.
Atlantic Coast, sometimes entering rivers.

** Body much compressed ; depth more than i of length ; fresh
waters. (Lepibema, Raf.)

2. R. chrysops, (Raf.) Gill. WHITE BASS. STRIPED
LAKE BASS. Silvery, with six or more dark stripes,
sometimes " so interrupted and transposed as to appear
like ancient church music.'* D. IX — 1, 12; A. Ill, 13;
lat. 1. 55. Great Lakes, Upper Mississippi Valley
and N. (Labrax multilineatus, notcitus, albidus and
osculatii of authors.)

ICHTHELID^]. — XCII. 227

2. MORONE, Mitchill. WHITE BASS.
< Labrax, Cuvier.

1. M. americana, (Gmel.) Gill. WHITE PERCH. Whit-
ish, usually faintly striped; depth 3 in length; D.
IX — I, 12; A. Ill, 9; lat. 1. 50. Atlantic Coast,
abundant also in fresh water ponds, etc., coastwise;
variable. (L. mucronatus, rufus and pallidus, authors.)

2. M. interrupta. Gill. SHORT - STRIPED OR BRASSY
BASS. Silvery, with interrupted black stripes ; D.
IX— I, 13; A. Ill, 9. Mississippi Valley, chiefly south-
ward. (L. chrysops, Grd., not of Gill.)

FAMILY XCIL — ICHTHELIDJS.

(The Sun FisTies.)

Percoid fishes with a single dorsal fin, either continu-
ous or deeply divided, with eight to twelve spines; anal
fin large, with three to nine spines; ventrals thoracic, I,
5; body oblong, more or less elevated, sometimes much
compressed; opercular bones feebly if at all serrated,
often with entire edges; scales scarcely ctenoid, some-
times cycloid; cleft of mouth more or less oblique, lower
jaw the longer; villiform teeth on jaws, vomer and usually
on palatines; many species with a small supernumerary
bone lying behind the maxillary and parallel with it;
others with a more or less prolonged flap extending
backwards from the upper angle of the opercle; nearly
all with a black spot at this point, which also covers the
flap if the latter is developed; colors usually brilliant,
chiefly olive green, with spots or shades of blue, yellow,
orange or violet. Fresh water fishes; many of them
build nests which they defend with much courage; all
are carnivorous, voracious and " gamey." Genera about
fifteen; species forty; all American, and most abundant

228 FISHES.

in the Mississippi Valley, every where forming a charac-
teristic feature of our fish-fauna. The genera are quite
well known, and most of them are firmly established;
but the species of some groups, particularly Ichthelis
and C ' hcenobryttus are in a state of almost inextricable
confusion.

* Dorsal fin long, deeply divided, sometimes almost into two fins ;
dorsal spines 10, anal 3 ; opercle emarginate behind ; caudal
emarginate; an additional maxillary bone; mouth wide;
body moderately elevated. (MICROPTERIN/E.)

MICROPTERUS, 1.

** Dorsal fin continuous, without deep division, about equal to the
anal in extent; opercle emarginate behind, ending in two flat
points; a slender supernumerary bone attached along the
posterior margin of the broad flattish maxillary; soft fins
high, mottled. (CENTRARCHIN/E.)

a. Spinous dorsal longer than soft part, forming an angle with
it; dorsal spines 11 or 12, anal spines about 8.

CENTRARCHUS, 2.

aa. Spinous dorsal shorter than soft part, continuous with it ;

dorsal spines 6 to 8 ; anal spines normally 6. POMOXYS, 3.

*** Dorsal fin without division, notably larger than anal. (IcH-

THELIN.E.)

f Anal with 5 or 6 spines ; dorsal with 10 to 12 ; opercle emar-
ginate behind ; a supernumerary maxillary bone.

Scales ctenoid ; caudal emarginate ; fins mottled ; anal

spines normally 6. . . AMBLOPLITES, 4.

Scales cycloid ; caudal rounded ; fins plain ; anal spines

normally 5. ... ACANTHARCHUS, 5.

ft Anal with 4 spines ; dorsal with 8 ; caudal rounded.

HEMIOPLITES, 6.

fff Anal with three spines.

b. Dorsal spines 9 (sometimes abnormally 8 or 10) ; caudal
rounded; opercle emarginate behind — not ending in

rounded flap ENNEACANTHUS, 7.

bb. Dorsal spines 10 (rarely 9 or 11 in abnormal specimens.)

ICHTHELID^E. — XCII. 229

c. Opercle emarginate ; caudal rounded ; spinons and soft
dorsals forming an angle; sides with black vertical

bars MESOGONISTIUS, 8.

cc. Opercle entire and rounded behind, often more or less
produced, and always with a black spot ; caudal emar-
ginate.

d. Maxillary rather broad and flat, somewhat triangular-
elongate, with (always?) a narrow supernumerary
bone lying along its posterior margin ; mouth wride.

e. Tongue with a conspicuous patch of teeth ; mouth

very large, maxillary reaching to opposite eye;
opercular spot large; body deep, thick and strong,
with large scales; aspect and dentition of Amblo-

plites GLOSSOPLITES, 9,

ee. Tongue without teeth ; mouth smaller ; maxillary not
reaching to middle of eye ; opercular spot small ;
body elongated; scales small, usually with blue
clots ; aspect and dentition of Ichthelis.

CH^NOBRYTTUS, 10.

dd. Maxillary narrow and thicker, approaching club-
shaped, without supernumerary bone ; mouth usually
smaller; colors mostly bright.

f. Lower pharyngeal teeth conic, acute; opercular flap

various, usually more or less elongated in adult.

ICHTHELIS, 11.

ff. Lower pharyngeal teeth rounded, pavement-like;
opercular flap rather short and broad, distinctly
tipped below and behind with scarlet.

POMOTIS, 12.

1. MICROPTERUS, Lacepede. BLACK BASS.

> Huro and G-rystes, C. & V.

= Calliurus, Raf. (not of Agassiz.)

= Lepomis, Raf.

1. M. nigricans, (Cuv.) Gill. LARGE-MOUTHED BLACK
BASS. OSWEGO BASS. Dull olive green, more or less
spotted when young but not barred; usually with an

230 FISHES.

irregular dark lateral band, and three oblique stripes on
opercles; end of caudal fin blackish, these markings
growing obscure with age ; 3d dorsal spine twice as high
as first; notch between spines and soft- rays deep; eleven
rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal; anal fin
somewhat scaly; mouth very wide; D. X, 14; A. Ill, 12;
lat. 1. 70 to 80. Great Lakes and rivers of the West and
South, abundant in most regions, and, like the next,
highly valued as a food fish. (Huro nigricans C. & V.
G. nobilior and nigricam, Agass.)

2. M. salmoides, (Lac.) Gill. SMALL-MOUTHED BLACK
BASS. Moss BASS. Dark green; young brighter and
more or less barred and spotted, but without lateral
band; tail yellow at base, then black, and edged with
white; opercle with oblique olivaceous streaks; third
dorsal spine half larger than first; dorsal notch rather
shallow; scales larger than in the preceding — eight rows
between lateral line and dorsal; mouth smaller; anal
nearly scaleless; fin rays as above; lat. 1. 60 to 70.
Great Lakes and streams from L. Champlain S. and W.;
common in N. Y. and in most regions west of the Alle-
ganies; introduced eastward. [G. fasciatus, (Les.) Ag.
C. obscuruS) DeK. (young.) M. achigan^ (Raf.) Gill,
etc., etc.]

2. CENTRARCHUS, Cuvier. MANY-SPINED BASS.

1. C. irideus, (Bosc.) C. & V. SHINING BASS. Bright
green with dark spots; vertical fins mottled; dorsal with
black spot behind, which is sometimes ocellated with
orange; form much as in next genus; D. XII, 14;
A. VIII, 15; L. 6. Rivers of Southern States.

3. POMQXYS, Rafinesque. HIGH-FINNED BASS.
* Dorsal spines normally 7 ; body much elevated ; depth half
length. (Hyperistius, Gill.)

ICHTHELIIXE. — XCII. 231

1. P. hexacanthus, (C. & V.) Agass. GRASS BASS. Six-
SPINED BASS. Depth 2 in length; head nearly 3; snout
projecting, forming an angle with the descending pro-
file; mouth large, very oblique; fins very large; anal
larger than dorsal; bright olive green and silvery; sides
and fins much mottled; D. VII, 15; A. VI, 18; lat. 1.
41; L. 8. Great Lakes to Delaware R. (Abbott) and
S. W.; a handsome fish.

** Dorsal spines normally 6; body less elevated ; depth about
one-third length. (Pomoxys.)

2. P. annularis, Raf. BACHELOR (Ohio R.) NEW
LIGHT (Ky.) CRAPPIE (St. Louis). Depth two-fifths to

one-third length, scarcely greater than length of head;
olivaceous, silvery below; sides with irregular clusters of
dusky spots; D. VII (V to VIII), 15; A. VI, 17; lat. 1.
43 (39 to 48); L. 10. Mississippi Valley; a food fish of
some value; abundant and exceedingly variable. [P.
nitidus, Grd. P. storerius, (Kirt.) Gill. P. intermedius,
protacanthus and brevicauda, Gill.]

4. AMBLOPLITES, Rafinesque. ROCK BASS.
< Centrarchus, Cuvier.

1. A. rupestris, (Raf.) Gill. ROCK BASS. GOGGLE
EYE. RED EYE. Depth about half length; head more
than one-third; eye nearly 4 in head, very large; cheeks
scaly; front convex; longest dorsal ray two-thirds depth
of head at front of orbit; brassy olive with golden green
and blackish markings; a dark spot at base of each scale,
which is conspicuous after death, giving a striped appear-
ance; D. XI, 11; A. VI, 10; lat. 1. 42; L. 8. Great
Lakes and rivers west of the Alleganies; an abundant
species. [A. ceneus, (C. & V.) Ag. A. ichtheloides,
(Raf.) Ag.]

2. A. cavifrons, Cope. Depth 2£ in length; mouth

232 FISHES.

larger, muzzle more projecting, the front therefore con-
cave, cheeks nearly naked; eyes still larger, 3 in head;
longest dorsal ray equal to depth of head at front of
orbit; silvery, dusted with dark points; scales with dark
shades; D. X, 12; A. VI, 11; lat. 1. 38. Roanoke R.

5. ACANTHARCHUS, Gill. BASS SUN FISHES.

< Centrarchus, Baird.

1. A. pomotis, (Baird) Gill. MUD SUN FISH. Ellip-
tical; mouth large; dark greenish olive, with dull yellow-
ish markings and longitudinal dusky streaks; opercles
with dusky radiating bars; D. XI, 12; A. V, 12; L. 5.
Muddy streams coastwise, N. J., N. Y., etc.

6. HEMIOPLITES, Cope. FOUR-SPINED SUN FISH.

1. H. simulans, Cope. FOUR-SPINED SUN FISH. Head
2f in length, depth 2£; eye 3£ in head; bright olive, with
dusky stripes; sides and cheeks with purple reflections;
D. VIII, 11; A. IV, 10; lat. 1. 30. James R., Va. Re-
sembles E. obesus.

7. ENNEACANTHUS, Gill. NINE-SPINED SUN FISHES.

< Bryttus, Putnam.

1. E. obesus, ( Baird ) Gill. SPOTTED SUN FISH.
Depth about half length; dark olive green, much
barred or mottled; cheeks with lines and spots; opercular
flaps velvet black, bordered with purple ; a dark bar below
eye; $ brightly colored; fins high, spotted or mottled
with blue; D. IX, 10; A. Ill — 10; L. 3. Streams coast-
wise from Mass., southward; a handsome little fish. E.
guttatus (Morris) Cope, is the male (Abbott.)

8. MESOGONISTIUS, Gill. BLACK -BANDED SUN FISH.
1. M. ch&todon, (Baird) Gill. BLACK -BANDED SUN

ICHTHELID^E. — XCII. 233

FISH. Suborbicular; depth about half length; spines
long, longest equal to distance from snout to preopercle ;
eye large, three in head; dirty straw color, clouded with
olive; sides with four to six well-defined black vertical
bars running up on the fins; first through eye, last at
base of tail; D. X, 11; A. Ill, 12; lat. 1. 28; L. 3. New
Jersey to Maryland, in sluggish waters; a small, hand-
some species, known at once by its peculiar coloration

resembling some Chcetodonts.

*

9. GLOSSGPLITES, Jordan. BLACK SUN FISHES.
< Calliurus, Ag.

1. G. melanops, (Grd.) Jordan. BLACK SUN FISH.

Depth nearly half length; head two-fifths; eye large;
body very robust, broad forwards, compressed behind;
nape rounded; a depression over eye, the snout project-
ing, and forming an angle; fins rather low, with stout
spines; mouth very large, with strong teeth, the maxil-
lary bone very broad and flat, reaching to posterior mar-
gin of eye; tongue with one or more conspicuous
patches of teeth; teeth on palatines; scales large;
coppery olive, or blackish, sides with faint streaks along
the rows of scales; five dark bands radiating from eye
across cheek; opercular spot very large; soft rays of
fins barred; D. X, 10; A. Ill, 9; lat. 1. 40. Illinois R.
(Prof. Forbes] to Texas and W.; a fine large species
having the appearance and dentition of Ambloplites, but
with three anal spines and a rounded operculum as in
C hcenobryttus. (Ch. charybdis, Cope.)

2. G. gilli'i, (Cope.) Jordan. RED-EYED BREAM. Light
green with olive cross-bars, which embrace pale spots,
forming a chain-like pattern ; four radiating bands behind
the eye; fins blackish, barred; opercular spot small;

234 FISHES.

maxillary reaching to beyond eye; head = depth, 2| in
length; eye large, 3 in head; D. X, 10; A. Ill, 9; lat. 1.
45. Va. and S. ; chiefly E. of the Alleganies. (Perhaps
a Chcenobryttus.)

10. CH/ENOBRYTTUS, Gill. RED EYES.

Telipomis, Raf. (Perhaps the name to be adopted.)

= Calliurus, Ag. (but not of Raf.)
* Dorsal spines low; scales small, with blue spots.

1. C. cyanellus, (Raf.) Jordan. BLUE -SPOTTED SUN
FISH. Dark clear olive-green, each scale with a blue
spot and more or less of gilt edging, the body thus
appearing more or less striped along the rows of scales;
colors variable, golden olive, green or even almost blue;
cheeks with bright blue horizontal stripes; body more or
less sprinkled with irregular dark dots; vertical fins
marked with green and blue and more or less edged
with pale orange; usually no distinct black dorsal spot;
opercular spot small, with brassy edgings; depth 2f in
length, head xJ^; dorsal spines low and stout; pectoral
fins short, 4^ to 5 in total length (with caudal); lat. 1. 48;
L. 4 to 6. Ohio Valley and W. abundant. (C. longulus
and C. formosus^ Grd.)

Var. melanops, (Raf.) Jor. BIG - MOUTHED SUN FISH.
Very near the preceding, but perhaps a distinct species;
nape less elevated, body deeper, spines slenderer,
mouth rather smaller; pectorals long, 3 to 4 in total
length; color varying from pale olive to almost black;
sides usually showing vertical bars; a black blotch on
back of last rays of dorsal, and usually of anal also, as
in Ichthelis incisor. Ohio Valley and N. W., abundant.
(C. mineopas. Cope).

** Dorsal spiues rather long ; scales larger, without distinct blue
spots.

ICHTHELID^E. — XCII. 235

2. C. gulosus, (C. & V.) Jordan. WIDE -MOUTHED
SUN FISH. Olive and yellow, sides with vertical bars;
no dorsal spot ; form broad ovate; eye 4£ in head.
Southern States. An imperfectly described species,
unknown to me.

3. C. nephelus, (Cope) Jordan. CHAIN- SIDED SUN
FISH. Bright steel blue, with many bronze orange spots,
which cover nearly the whole surface, so arranged that
the ground color forms a series of 'vertical chain-like
bars, very conspicuous in life; vertical fins mottled with
bronze, and usually more or less edged with pale orange;
no black dorsal spot^ no distinct blue cheek stripes, but
sides of head shaded with purplish; body rather elon-
gate ; head somewhat acute ; opercular spot small ; depth
2^ in length; head nearly 3; lat. 1. 42; L. 3 to 4.. Ohio
Valley. A small species and one of the handsomest;
extremely hardy in aquaria, and perhaps the most vora-
cious of the Sun Fishes. (This may prove to belong
to the next genus.)

* //. ICHTHELIS, Rafinesque. SUN FISHES.
= Lepomis, Cope, and in part of Raf. (1818, not 1820).
> Bryttus, C. & V. (species with palatine teeth).
< Pomotis, Cuvier, (species without palatine teeth).
1. /. incisor, (C. & V.) Holbr. BLUE SUN FISH. COP-
PEE- NOSED BKEAM. Olive-green, adults dark, young

* The species of this genus are very closely related; the general structure
(dentition, scales, fin-rays, etc.) is essentially the same in all. while those char-
acters which usually afford specific distinctions are in the highest degree vari-
able. The form of body, size and form of opercular flap, coloration, etc., vary
very much with age, and even of specimens of the same age it is almost impos-
sible to find two which are alike in these respects. The following descriptions
are chiefly drawn up from Ohio River specimens, and they will be found to be
descriptions of individuals rather than of species, and more or less deviation
from them must be expected. It is hoped, however, that by their aid the
student will generally be enabled to identify adult specimens. The study of
Sun Fishes under two inches long, is. in the present state of our knowledge,
extremely diflicult and unsatisfactory.

236 FISHES.

more or less silvery, often uniformly so in spirits; a more
or less distinct purple lustre in life; sides with undulat-
ing, sometimes chain-like, transverse bars, most con-
spicuous in the young ; a black spot on base of dorsal
and anal behind; no blue stripes on cheeks; no red
markings; opercular flap moderately long and wide in
adults, without pale edge, very short in young; body
deep, compressed, caudal peduncle long and slender;
head 3 in length; depth about 2; dorsal spines very long •
D. X, 11; A. Ill, 10; lat. 1. 40 to 45; L. 8. Great Lakes
to Delaware R. (Abbott) and S., abundant. A large and
very variable species, but almost always recognizable by
the characters above emphasized. (L. ardesiacus, L.
megalotis, and L. purpurascens, Cope.)

Var.? speciosus, (B. & G.) Jordan. SOUTHEKN SUN
FISH. Dorsal spines longer than the soft rays; otherwise
similar to incisor. S. W. (L. longispinis, Cope. P. heros,
Grd.)

Var.? obscurus, (Ag.) Jordan. DUSKY SUN FISH.
Like I. incisor, but uniformly dusky; face and jaws lead
color; body more elongate, and profile steeper; ear-flap
long; dorsal spines rather short. Tennessee R.

2. /. macrochira, Raf. GILDED SUN FISH. Pale olive,
young almost translucent ; sides and fins profusely
speckled with golden orange, forming bars or chains;
orange below; cheeks with narrow blue horizontal lines;
no dorsal spot; flap moderate, rather narroio, narrowly
bordered by light / forehead regularly convex, the bulk
of the body thrown forward / dorsal spines moderate;
pectorals nearly reaching anal; ventrals elongate; head
3 in length, depth 2^; eye = flap, 4 in head; lat. 1. 42.
Ohio Valley and W., abundant.

ICHTHELID.E.— XCII. 237

3. /. bombifrons, (Ag.) Bliss. ROUND-FACED SUN
FISH. Light brown; fins pale, unspotted; belly and
sides dotted with golden orange; head much broader,
deeper and shorter than in any other species; the profile
being exceedingly prominent, the forehead strongly
arched, and the greatest depth immediately over the
opercle ; flap very short and small ; soft rays of dorsal
much higher than spines; depth 2^ in length, head
nearly 3. Tennessee R.; rare.

4. /. inscriptus, (Ag.) Bliss. BLUE-GREEN SUN FISH.
Dark olive green, with blue shades; many scales marked
each vrith a short horizontal black line, like a pencil mark,
these forming faint stripes along the sides of the back;
cheeks with blue lines; opercular flap moderate, rather
narrow, directed quite obliquely upwards, bordered above
and below by pinkish; spines long; depth 2^ in length.
A small handsome species, abundant in the Valley of the
Ohio and S%

5. /. anagallinus, (Cope.) Bliss. RED-SPOTTED SUN
FISH. Dusky bluish, with greenish mottlings; sides
with many distinct, rather large, salmon-red spots; belly
bright salmon-red; opercular flap rather large, with a
very wide red margin, which entirely surrounds the black;
sometimes a black dorsal spot (?); spines rather high;
depth 2£ in length; scales large; lat. 1. 33 to 36. Michi-
gan to Tenn. and Kas. ; a small highly colored species.
(L. peltastes, Cope. ? L. oculatus, Cope.)

6. /. megalotis, Raf. LONG - EARED SUN FISH. Dark
olive, with blue shades; belly and sides of head strongly
tinged with orange; cheeks and sides of head with blue
horizontal bands; a broad blue stripe in front of eye; no
dorsal spot; caudal usually dusky; opercular flap ex-
tremely long in adults, more or less pale-edged, very

238 FISHES.

variable; dorsal spines moderate, the longest longer than
from snout to middle of eye; body deep, profile very
steep; head, with flap, nearly half length, depth about the
same; lat. 1. 35 to 40. Ohio Valley, S. and W., abundant;
a beautiful species. (P. nitidus, Kirt.)

7. /. fallax, (B. & G.) Jordan. SOUTHERN LONG-
EAEED SUN FISH. Very similar, but with a distinct
black spot on last rays of dorsal at base. Lower Miss.
and S. W.

8. /. sanguinolentus, (Ag.) Bliss. BLUE AND ORANGE
SUN FISH. SUN PERCH. Brilliant blue, and orange,
back chiefly blue, belly entirely orange, the orange
forming irregular, longitudinal rows of spots, the blue
in wavy vertical lines along the edges of the scales;
fins with the rays blue and the membranes orange; ven-
tral and anal shaded with dusky blue, appearing blackish
when folded; flap very large, with a broad pale edge
which is pink behind, and bluish in front; lips blue;
cheeks with bright blue and orange stripes; top of head
and neck blackish; eyes bright red; spines very low,
lower than in any other species of this genus • the longest
dorsal spine shorter than from snout to middle of eye :
occiput depressed; profile high and strongly curved-,
depth more than half length; head with flap, a little
less; eye 1^ in flap; pectorals not reaching vent; lat. 1.
40. Ohio Valley to Alabama. \L. auritus, (Raf.) Cope.]
Our most brilliantly colored Sun Fish. This and the
two preceding run very closely together and perhaps
form one polymorphous species. If so, the name I.
auritus, Raf., apparently intended for the present
species, has priority and should be adopted unless Labrus
auritus of Linnaeus proves to have been intended for
I. rubricauda.

ICHTHELIDuE. — XCH. 289

9. /. rubricauda, Holbr. RED-TAILED BKEAM. Dusky
olive above, belly and vertical fins red; a bay spot at
the base of each scale, these forming interrupted stripes;
head with blue lines, especially noticeable in front of
eye; opercular flap long, rather wide, bordered with
blue; spines rather high; pectorals shorter than ventrals;
depth 2£ in length. Southern States, chiefly east of the
Alleganies.

10. /. appendix, (Mitch.) Bliss. NORTHERN RED-
TAILED SUN FISH. Reddish brown, with rusty red
spots ; cheeks with blue lines ; opercular flap long,
rather narrow, scarcely pale-edged / vertical fins more
or less bright red; spines moderately high; depth 2^ in
length; pectorals as long as ventrals. Maine to North
Carolina, east of the Alleganies; the only Ichthelis
occurring in New England.

Several other species of this genus have been described
within our limits, but we are unable to recognize them.
A rigid reduction would perhaps show the identity of
species 6, 7 and 8, and possibly rubricauda is a geo-
graphical variety of appendix.

12. POM OTIS, Rafinesque. POND FISHES.

1. P. aurHuSf (L.) Giinther. COMMON SUN FISH.
PUMPKIN SEED. BREAM. Depth more than half length;
greenish olive above, sides orange - spotted ; orange
yellow below; cheeks orange with blue wavy streaks;
ear-flap rounded, broadly edged with scarlet below and
behind; lower fins orange, upper orange-spotted; D. X,
10; A. Ill, 9; lat. 1. 37. Great Lakes and streams
chiefly northward and E. of the Alleganies; seldom in
company with Chcenobryttus. (JP. maculatus, aureus,
vulgaris, and luna of authors.)

240 FISHES.

2. P. noiatus, Ag. POXD PERCH. More elongated;
ear-flap about as above; a dusky band to eye; light
olive, silvery below; spines rather slender; pectoral fins
elongated; no dorsal spot; D. X, 11; A. Ill, 10; lat. 1.
37. Headwaters of Tennessee R., abundant.

3. P. pal I id us, Ag. PALE SUN FISH. Resembles
Ichthelis incisor, but with a larger mouth; dorsal with a
black spot behind; fins with dark markings; orange on
ear-flap narrow; olive green, sides with eight or nine
dusky bars. Tennessee R.

FAMILY XCIIL — APHREDODERID^E.

(The Pirate Perches.}

Vent jugular, in front of the ventral fins; dorsal fin
single, high, with but three spines; ventrals thoracic,
without spines and with more than five soft rays; some
bones of head spinous; teeth on jaws and palate; scales
ctenoid; branchiostegals six; ccecal appendages about
twelve; air bladder simple.

A single species known from the waters of the Eastern
and Southern States. It is remarkable for its voracity
and for its nocturnal habits. The unusual .position of
the vent (as in Amblyopsidce] distinguishes it widely
from the Percoid fishes.

/, APHREDODERUS, LeSueur. PIRATE PERCHES.

1. A. sayanus, (Gilliams) DeK. PIRATE PERCH.
Head 3£ in length; depth 3f ; greenish olive; a sub-
orbital bar; caudal rounded; lower jaw longest; D. Ill,
11; A. II, 7; lat. 1. 48; length 5 inches. N. Y. to La.,
in brooks near the coast.

. — XCIV. 241

FAMILY XCIV. — SCLENID^E.

(The Maigres)

Body compressed, often elongate, covered with ctenoid
scales; lateral line continuous, often running up on the
caudal fin; teeth in villiform bands, sometimes with
canines; vonier and palate toothless; opercles weakly if
at all serrated; bones of skull more or less cavernous,
with muciferous system highly developed; chin usually
with pores or barbels; lower pharyngeals distinct, except
in Haploidonotus and its relatives, where they are
firmly united (pharyngognathous) as in the LabridcKj
dorsals two, distinct or slightly connected, the soft part
most developed; vertical fins usually scaly; ventrals
I, 5, thoracic; anal spines generally 1 or 2; air bladder
large and often complicated (rarely wanting) ; stomach
ccecal with a few pyloric appendages.

Chiefly marine, in temperate and warm regions, the
following only in fresh water. Genera about twenty;
species one hundred and ten, numerous on our coasts:

* Lower jaw shorter, received within the upper; both jaws fully
provided with teeth ; no canines ; lower pharyngeals united.
(HAPLOIDONOTIN^E.)

f Body moderately elevated ; depth about one-third length ;
caudal double-truncate, slightly prolonged behind.

HAPLOIDONOTUS, 1.

f f Body greatly elevated at the shoulders ; depth nearly half
length ; caudal truncate. . . EUTYCHELITHUS, 2.

/. HAPLOIDONOTUS, Rafinesque. BUBBLERS.
= Amblodon, Raf.

1. H. grunniens, Raf. SHEEPSHEAD (Lakes), WHITE
PERCH, GRUNTER, DRUM. Depth 3 in length; head 3£;
back elevated forwards, and much compressed j spines
II

242 FISHES.

strong; first anai spine short; the second very large,
attached to a stout bone; grayish silvery, dusky above;
scales rather large and irregularly placed, punctate with
black ; D. IX — I, 30 ; A. II, 7 ; lat. 1. 54. Great Lakes,
Mississippi Valley, etc., abundant. (Corvina oscula and
C. grisea, of Authors.)

2. H. concinnus, (Ag.) Gill. TENNESSEE DRUM. Stouter;
profile steeper; dorsal beginning in advance of edge of
pectorals; very large, reaching a weight of 50 Ibs. Ten-
nessee R.

3. H. lineatus, (Ag.) Gill. MISSOURI DRUM. Similar,
head shorter; profile less arched; scales with darker
edges, giving the body an obscurely striped appearance;
very large. Osage R. This and the preceding species
need confirmation.

2. EUTYCHELITHUS, Jordan. LAKE HURON DRUMS.

1. E. richardsonii, (C. &. V.) Jordan. MALASHEGANAY
LAKE DRUM. Head and shoulders much elevated; pro-
file very steep; eye moderate; mouth rather large; the
lower jaw rather projecting; head nearly one-third of
length; depth about one-half; anal spine stout (single?),
one - third shorter than the soft rays ; pectorals pointed,
much longer than the ventrals; opercular bones all finely
serrated; greenish with dark bands on the back; D.
IX— I, 29; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 54. Lake Huron. A little
known species, which, if correctly described, can not
belong to Haploidonotus, as Prof. Gill has shown. It
may be called Eutychelithus (Greek, eutuches — lucky;
lithos — stone), from the large " ear bones," which many
of the members of this family possess, and which are
known to Wisconsin boys as " lucky stones."

COTTID^. — XCV. 243

FAMILY XCV. — COTTID^E.

(The Sculpins.)

Fishes with the cheeks mailed (i. e. the suborbital bone
extending backward over the cheeks, articulating with
the preopercle) ; head broad, usually not externally bony,
but always more or less spinous; eyes high up, near
together; body sometimes scaly, or with a series of bony
plates, naked in all our species; dorsals usually two,
soft dorsal largest; pectorals large, without detached
rays; veiitrals thoracic, near together, usually imperfect,
but developed in all our species; air bladder usually
absent. Genera about twenty ; species about 70. Mostly
of the shores of northern regions; several small species
abounding in the fresh waters of Europe, Asia and North
America. In habits these fresh water species bear a
strong resemblance to the Etheostomoids. All of them
are singular looking fishes, and many of the marine species
are hideous in appearance.

OBS. — In the measurements given below, the length of the body
is understood inclusive of the caudal fin, not to base of caudal as
in other cases.

* Second dorsal moderately elevated, not remote from the first ;

preopercle with 1 to 3 spines.

f No teeth on the palate (pharyngeal teeth present, as usual); ven-
trals 1, 3; size small (length 2 to 3 inches). URANIDEA, 1.
ff Palate sometimes with teeth ; ventrals 1, 4 ; size usually larger
(length 3 to 6 inches). . . . PEGEDICHTHYS, 2.
** Second dorsal very high, widely separated from the first ; pre-
opercle with 4 needle-like spines. • . TKIGLOPSIS, 3.

/. URANIDEA, DeKay. MILLER'S THUMBS.
< Cottus, Girard.

* Slender, fusiform species ; depth 6 to 6i in total length.

1. U. gracilis, (Heckel) Putnam. MILLER'S THUMB.
LITTLE STAR GAZER. Tips of pectorals reaching fourth

244 FISHES.

ray of second D., and first of anal; head 4 in total
length; eye 4 in head; grayish, mottled. D. VIII — 16;
A. 11 or 12. New England and New York; the common
Eastern species, found " quiescent " under stones, after
the manner of the Darters. (U. quiescens, DeK.) [U.
boleoides (Grd.), from Vermont, is said to be slenderer,
and with larger fins. U. formosa, (Grd.) from stomachs
of Lota, in deep water, L. Ontario, is more elongate, with
shorter fins; it needs further examination. * U. gobioides,
(Grd.) is larger, much stouter and with larger mouth. It
is from La Moille R., W. Vt.] This genus is not suffi-
ciently distinct from the next. Pegedichthys is the older
name.
** Stouter ; depth about 5J in total length.

2. U. viscosa, (Haldeman) Cope. SLIPPERY MILLER'S
THUMB. Pectorals scarcely reaching second dorsal;
head 4£ in total length; eye 5 in head; body sub-
cylindrical, covered with a viscid skin; dusky, mottled;
D. VIII-17; A. 12. Streams of Penn., Md., W. Va.,
etc. (Youghiogheny R., Jordan), frequent, often found in
caves. (C. copei, Abbott.)

3. U. franklini, (Ag.) Jordan. FRANKLIN'S COTTUS.
Pectorals scarcely reaching second dorsal; first dorsal
scarcely lower than second; head 3f in total length; eye
4i in head; D. VIII— 17; A. 12. S. and E. shores of
L. Superior.

4. U. hoyi, Putnam, Mss. HOY'S BULL -HEAD. Lake
Michigan. Description not yet published.

2. PEGEDICHTHYS, Rafinesque. SPRING FISHES.

= Potamocottus, Gill.-

1. P. icfa/urops, Raf. CAVE BULL -HE AD. BIG
MILLER'S THUMB. CAT'S EYE SPRING FISH. GOBLIN.

xcv. 245

Head 3£ in length; depth 5; width of head 3J; P.
reaching beyond beginning of soft dorsal to anal; pre-
opercle with a stout erect spine and two smaller ones
below; mouth wide; lateral line very distinct, chain-like,
sometimes vanishing behind, and sometimes not !
Grayish, mottled, three cross-blotches on back; D. VI
to VIII— 16; A. 12 or 13; V. 1, 4. N. C. to Ohio, Tenn.,
and Ind., abounding in many of the streams issuing from
the caves in the limestone region; the largest species of
the genus, reaching a length of 6 inches. (C. meridion-
aliS) Grd. P. carolince. Gill.)

2. P. richardsonii, (Ag.) Jordan. LAKE SUPERIOR
MILLER'S THUMB. Pectorals shorter than head, scarcely
reaching second dorsal; depth 6 in total length; head
4i; eye 5£ in head; D. VIII— 18; A. 14. L. Superior;
one of the larger species. (C. alvordi, Grd., from L.
Huron, "the smallest species" is said to be stouter
(depth 5) and to have the pectorals longer.)

3. P. bairdii, (Girard) Jordan. BAIRD'S BULL-HEAD.
Pectorals long, reaching beyond beginning of anal;
depth 6 to 6J in total length; spinous dorsal very low,
with a black bar; head 4^ in length; eye 4 in head;
D. VI to VII— 16; A. 13. Mahoning R., Ohio; Baraboo
R., Wis. (Bundy), etc. \C. wilsoni, (Grd.) from the
Allegany R. is similar, but is said to have the spinous
dorsal higher, and the upper rays of the pectorals
branched. IT. spilota, Cope, from Grand Rapids, Mich.,
is similar but stouter, and D. VIII — 17.]

3. TRIG LOPS IS, Girard. LAKE SCULPINS.

= Ptyonotus, Glinther.

1. T. thorn psoni, Grd. DEEP WATER LAKE SCULPIN.
Body elongated; depth 7 in total length; head 3^; eyes
very large, 4 in head; D. VI — 18; A. 15. Great Lakes

246 FISHES.

(L. Ontario, L. Michigan) in deep water; till lately
known only from remains found in the stomachs of Lake
Trout and Ling.

FAMILY XCVL— GOBIID^E.

(The Gobies.)

Body elongated, low, naked or scaly; dorsals two,
sometimes united, the spines flexible and less developed
than the soft rays; anal similar to soft dorsal; ventrals
1, 5 (rarely 1, 4), sometimes united, forming a disk; gill
openings narrow; teeth generally small; a prominent
papilla near the vent, as in the Blennies; air bladder
usually wanting; no pyloric appendages. Genera thirty;
species three hundred and twenty-five. Of the seas of
temperate and tropical regions, found on the bottoms
near the shore. A few species inhabit both salt and
fresh water.
* Body naked ; ventrals united. . . . GOBIOSOMA, 1.

/. GOBIOSOMA, Girard. NAKED GOBIES.
1. G. mo/estum, Grd. Dusky brown; head 3J in
length; D. VII— 12; A. 12. Coast of Texas, entering
rivers. A single specimen in the Museum of Oomp.
Zoology from the Ohio R., near Louisville (Putnam).

SUB- OEDER. - ANACANTHINI.

(TJie Jugular Fishes)

FAMILY XCVIL— GADID^E.

(The Cod Fishes.)

Body elongated, covered with small smooth scales;
dorsal fins 1, 2 or 3, occupying most of the back; rays
of posterior part well developed; vertical fins never

GASTEROSTEID^E. — XCVIH. 247

entirely united (as in some related families); ventrals
jugular, usually several-rayed; gill openings wide; air
bladder usually present; no pseudobranchias ; pyloric
coeca usually in large number (30 or more in Lota).
Genera about twenty - five ; species about seventy. An
important family found chiefly in the northern seas; a
single genus inhabiting the lakes and larger streams of
the northern parts of Europe and America.
* Chin with a barbel ; dorsals 2 ; anal single ; teeth villiform.

LOTA, 1.
/. LOTA, Cuvier. LINGS.

1. L /acustr/Sf (Mitch.) Gill. LING. BURBOT. LAKE
LAWYER. EEL-POUT. LAKE CUSK. Dark olive, thickly
marbled with blackish, yellowish or dusky beneath; head
broad, depressed; body sub-cylindrical in front, com-
pressed behind; upper jaw (always?) longest; D. 13 — 76;
A. 68; V. 7; length 1^- to 2% feet. Great Lakes and
streams of New England, north to the Arctic Circle,
abundant; very rare in the Miss. Valley. A curious fish,
rarely used for food, although the livers are said to be
delicious. [L. maculosa, (Les.) Cuv. L. compressa^
(Les.) and L. brosmiana, Storer. L. inornata^ DeK.,
etc.] It is closely related to the European L. vulgaris^
Cuv.

SUB-OKDER -HEMIBK ARCHIL

(The Half-Gilled Fishes.)
FAMILY XCVIIL — GASTEROSTEID^E.

(The Sticklebacks)

Small fishes with the body elongated and compressed;
caudal peduncle very slender; mouth large with the cleft
oblique; villiform teeth on jaws and pharyngeals; bran-
chiostegals three; opercles unarmed; sub-orbital bone

248 FISHES.

articulated with the preopercle ( as in Cottidoe^ with
which these fishes were formerly associated) ; skin naked
or with bony plates; dorsal preceded by two or more
isolated spines; ventrals abdominal, of a stout spine,
accompanied by a rudimentary ray ; air bladder simple ;
a few pyloric cceca. Genera about four; species twenty-
five or less, in fresh waters and arms of the sea in north-
ern Europe and America.
* Dorsal with 2 to 6 free spines.
f Sides mailed ; a serrated bony ventral cuirass and usually a

bony caudal keel GASTEROSTEUS, 1.

ft Sides naked ; no caudal keel ; ventral cuirass reduced, not

serrated.

\ Dorsal spines not in a right line when erected, the anterior

ones highest; ventral plates 2 — not on median line;

caudal peduncle very slender. . . APELTES, 2.

\\ Dorsal spines in the same line, the lowest in front ; ventral

plate single, on the middle line of abdomen ; caudal

peduncle stouter EUCALIA, 3.

** Dorsal spines 7 or more ; sides mailed or not. PYGOSTEUS, 4.

/. GASTEROSTEUS, Linnaeus. MAILED STICKLEBACKS.
1. G. noveboracensis, C. & V. NEW YORK STICKLE-
BACK. Maine to Cape Hatteras, coastwise; sometimes
ascending streams.

2. APELTES, DeKay. NAKED STICKLEBACKS.

< GasterosteuS) L.

1. A. quadracus, (Mitch.) Brevoort. FOUR-SPINED
STICKLEBACK. Abundant, with the preceding.

3. EUCALIA, Jordan. NEST - BUILDING STICKLEBACKS.

< Apeltes^ Authors.

1. E. inconstans, (Kirtland) Jordan. BROOK STICKLE-
BACK. OHIO STICKLEBACK. Head about 3^ in length ;

GASTEROSTEID^. — XCVIII. 249

depth nearly 4 ; spines rather low; ventral spine about
equal to eye; color olivaceous, marbled with darker;
males in spring jet black, finely punctate; D. Ill to
V — I, 10; A. I, 10; length 2% inches. Ohio to Minne-
sota and Kansas, chiefly northward; abundant in sluggish
streams; an interesting species, remarkable for its pug-
nacity and for its nest-building habits.

Var. pygmcBCt, ( Agassiz ) Jordan. L. SUPERIOR
STICKLEBACK. Depth 3f in length; head 3£; caudal
peduncle short and stout; body shorter and deeper than
the preceding; vent much nearer tip of caudal than
snout; color similar; D. Ill or IV — I, 6; A. I, 6. L.
Superior.

Var. cayuga, Jordan. CAYUGA LAKE STICKLEBACK.
Head 3^ in length; depth 4^; spines all high; caudal
peduncle slender; vent much nearer snout than tip of
caudal; D. IV— I, 10; A. 1, 10. Cayuga L., N. Y.,
dredged in deep water ( Wilder). Probably this and the
preceding are varieties of the variable E. inconstans,
Length 1J inches.

4. PYGOSTEUS, Brevoort. MANY-SPINED STICKLEBACK.

1. P. occidentalis, (C. & V.) Brevoort. TEN-SPINED
STICKLEBACK. Coastwise, abundant; sometimes ascend-
ing streams.

2. P. nebulosus, (Ag.) Jordan. MANY-SPINED LAKE
STICKLEBACK. Head 3^ in length; ventral spine long;
caudal keeled; sides not mailed; D. IX — 10; A. I, 8.
Great Lakes (scarcely distinct from preceding.)

3. P. mainensis, (Storer) Brev. MAINE STICKLEBACK.
Sides with a serrated plate ; body banded; D. VII — I, 9 ;
A. I, 8. Kennebec R., Maine.

250 PISHES.

STJB-OBDEB. -PEECESOCES.

(The Silversides.)

FAMILY XCIX. — ATHERINID^E.

(The Silversides.)

Body elongated, more or less compressed, covered
with rather small cycloid scales; sides with a bright,
distinct silvery band in all known species; dorsal spines
flexible and feeble; teeth small, numerous. Small, car-
nivorous fishes of warm regions, usually swimming in
schools near the shore; a few species in permanently
fresh water. Genera about five; species forty -five.
Besides the following strictly inland species, the common
Dotted Silverside [Chirostoma notatum (Mitch.) Gill]
ascends rivers from the sea.

* Mouth v.ery oblique ; the upper jaw plane above, concave within ;
the lower jaw correspondingly convex, the protractile inter-
rnaxillaries forming a peculiar roof-like beak.

LABIDESTHES, 1.

/. LABIDESTHES, Cope. RIVER SILVERSIDES.

1. L sicculus, Cope. SILVER SKIP -JACK. RIVER
SILVERSIDE. Depth 6 in length; head 4J; eye 3^ in
head; anal long, nearly one-third of length of body;
scales small; pale olive, translucent, dotted with black,
the silver lateral band very distinct; D. IV — 11;
A. I, 23; lat. 1. 75; length 3 to 4 inches. Western
streams and ponds, Mich, to Ills, and Tenn.; abundant
where found, but not noticed till comparatively lately.
A very slender and elegant species of delicate organism.
The peculiar " duck-like muzzle " is said to resemble
that of some Cyprinodonts, especially the Central
American Belonesox.

CYPRINODONTHLE. — C. 251

SUB - OEDER — HAPLOML

(The Toothed Minnows.)

FAMILY C. — CYPRINODONTID^E.

(TJie Cyprinodonts.)

Head and body scaly; no barbels; margin of upper
jaw formed by intermaxillaries only; teeth in both jaws
and on pharyngeals well developed; dorsal fin far back;
caudal usually rounded; no adipose fin; lateral line rudi-
mentary; air bladder simple; no pyloric cceca; head
more or less flattened above, the lower jaw usually
longer; sexes commonly unlike, the female larger; anal
of male often modified into a sword - shaped intromittent
organ; chiefly viviparous.

Small fishes of fresh or brackish waters in both con-
tinents; most abundant in warm regions. Genera twenty-
five; species one hundred and twenty. A recently dis-
covered Cyprinodont (Protistius, Cope.) from S. A. is
said to have a rudimentary spinous dorsal fin, indicating a
close relationship between this family and the Percesoces.

Our numerous species are not well known, and the
current genera are but indifferently characterized. One
species ( Girardinm formosus) from S. C. and Florida is
said to be the smallest known vertebrate. The species
here mentioned are carnivorous surface swimmers; many
southern species feed on mud arid slime.

* Dorsal fin commencing distinctly before anal ; brancliiostegals
about 5 FUNDULUS, 1.

** Dorsal fin short, commencing behind or opposite the elongate
anal ; branchiostegals about 3. . . ZYGONECTES, 2.

/. FUHDULUS, Lacepede. KILLIFISHES.
1. F. diaphanus, (Les.) Ag. BARRED KILLIFISH.
SPRING MUMMICHO&. Sides silvery olive, with twelve

252 FISHES.

to fifteen distinct, narrow, blackish, vertical bars ; head
rather narrow; D. 13; A. 12; lat. 1. 42. Coastwise,
abundant, but ascending streams to their sources, hence
found in clear springs as far inland as Mich. (Cope),
Wisconsin (Copeland), Illinois, Colorado (Yarrow),
etc. \F. midtifasciatuSi (Les. ) Val.] Various marine
species of this genus, as well as of Cyprinodon, Hydrar-
gyra and Micristius are sometimes found in fresh waters
near the coast.

2. ZYGONECTES, Agassiz. TOP MINNOWS.
< Haplochilus, Giinther.
X Hydrargyra, Pcecilia and Fundulus of Authors.

1. Z. olivaceus, (Stor.) Ag. BLACK -SIDED KILLI-
FISH. TOP MINNOW. Depth 4| in length; head 4;
head broad, depressed; clear pale olive with a few dots
above; a wide purplish-black band along sides from snout
through eye to caudal, its margin usually serrated; D. 9;
A. 11; lat. 1. 34; length 2^- inches. Miss. Valley; abun-
dant. (Z. pulchellus and tenellus, Grd. F. aureus,
Cope, etc.)

2. Z. notiii, Agassiz. STRIPED TOP MINNOW. A
broad band and several dotted lines along sides; the
darker continuous bands alternating with fainter inter-
rupted ones; males transversely banded; silvery below.
Mississippi Valley and Southern streams.

3. Z. melanops, (Cope) Jordan. Yellowish brown;
belly golden; a black spot below eye; fins dotted; D. G;
A. 8; lat. 1. 31. Neuse R.

4. Z. catenates, (Storer) Jordan. STUD FISH. MAY
FISH. Pale steel blue, sides with series of bright bronze
spots, forming very distinct longitudinal streaks; head
with bright green stripes; throat and bars on dorsal and

UMBRIDJE. — 01. 253

anal bright orange; D. 14; A. 15; lat. 1. 44; length 6
inches. Tenn. R.; one of the handsomest of the family.
Tt probably does not belong to this genus, but it is equally
unlike Fundulm^ Hydrargyra and Pcecilia, to all of
which genera it has been referred.

FAMILY CI. — UMBRIDJ3.

(The Mud Minnows)

Small fishes like the Cyprinodonts in most respects,
but with the mouth different; margin of upper jaw
formed by the intermaxillaries mesially and by the max-
illaries laterally; head and body scaly; no lateral line;
scales moderate, cycloid; lower jaw longest; dorsal far
.back; caudal fin rounded; gill openings wide; teeth
villiform on jaws, vomer and palatines. Genus one (or
two) ; (Melanura has never been properly distinguished
from Umbra); species two, Umbra crameri of Austria
and the following. Both are found in sluggish brooks
in mud or among weeds. " A locality which, with the
water perfectly clear, will appear destitute of fish, will
perhaps yield a number of mud fish on stirring up the
mud at the bottom and drawing a seine through it.
Ditches in the prairies of Wisconsin, or mere bog-holes,
apparently affording lodgment to nothing beyond tad-
poles, may thus be found filled with Melanuras"
(Baird.)

1. MELANURA, Agassiz. MUD MINNOWS.

< Umbra, Giinther.

1. M. limi, (Kirtland) Agassiz. MUD MINNOW. MUD
DACE. DOG FISH. Depth about 4 in length; head 3J;
head rather large, flattish above ; greenish or dark olive ;
sides with narrow pale bars, often obscure; a distinct
black bar at base of caudal; D. 14; A. 9; V. 6; lat. 1.

254 FISHES.

35; length 2 to 4 inches. New Jersey to Minnesota,
chiefly northward and westward; most abundant in Wis-
consin; rare in Ohio Valley; usually associated with
Eucalia inconstans.

FAMILY GIL — ESOCIDJE.

(The Pikes.)

Body elongated, sub-cylindrical, with rather small
scales; margin of upper jaw formed by intermaxillaries
mesially and by .the maxillaries laterally; mouth very
large; jaws elongate, depressed; teeth strong, hooked,
unequal, on intermaxillaries, vomer and palatines; dorsal
short, opposite anal; gill openings wide; air bladder
present. Voracious fishes of the fresh waters of north-
ern regions, two or three of the species reaching a large
size. With a single exception (E. lucius, L. the Pike
of Europe and Asia) all the species belong to the U. S.,
and our E. estor is perhaps identical with E. lucius.

Genus one (or two) ; species five to twenty; the follow-
ing seem to be well characterized; many others have
been described and some of them may be good, but that
has yet to be proven. It maybe convenient to recognize
the sub-genus Picorellus, proposed long ago by Rafin-
esque.

* Lower half of opercles scaleless ; cheeks scaly or not ; species
of large size; grayish blue in color, with round whitish
spots Esox, 1.

** Cheeks and opercles entirely scaly; size smaller; color olive
green, with darker bars or reticulations ; a black vertical bar
below the eye PICORELLUS, 2.

•

/. ESOX, Linnaeus. PIKES.

1. E. nobilior, Thompson. MUSKALLUNGE. GREAT
PIKE. Cheeks as well as opercles half bare; grayish

ESOCITLE. — on. 255

with round white spots; a magnificent fish, reaching a
length of 6 feet; B. 19; D. 19 to 21; A. 20; lat. 1. 155.
Great Lakes, etc. (E. estor of some authors.)

2. £. lucius, L., var. estor, (LeSueur.) GREAT LAKE
PIKE. NORTHERN PICKEREL. Cheeks entirely scaly;
depth 7 in length; head 3£; olive gray; sides with round
yellowish spots as large as peas; each scale with a shining
V-shaped mark opening downwards; B. 15; D. 20; A. 17;
lat. 1. 122. Great Lakes and headwaters of the Missis-
sippi. A fine species reaching a length of 3 to 4 feet.
(E. lucius, lucioides, boreus, etc., of authors.)

2. PICORELLUS, Rafinesque. PICKERELS.

* Branch iostegals 14 to 16; snout prolonged; front of eye nearly
midway in head.

1. P. reticu/afus, (LeSueur) Jordan. COMMON EAST-
ERN PICKEREL. GREEN PIKE. Head 3^ in length; the
snout much prolonged; front of eye about midway in
head; eye more than three times in snout; green, sides
with a network of brown streaks; B. 14 to 16; D. 16 to
18; A. 15 to 17; lat. 1. 120 to 130. Streams of Atlantic
States abundant, but not found far in the interior; smaller
than the preceding, but much larger than the next.
Represented S. of Va. by P. affinis. (Holbr.)

** Branchiostegals normally 12; front of eye nearer tip of snout.

2. P. americanus, (Lac.) Jordan. BANDED PICKEREL.
TROUT PICKEREL. Head ,3f in length, the snout much
shorter than in the preceding; eye much nearer snout
than opercular margin, its diameter less than 3 in snout;
dark green; sides with about twenty distinct blackish
curved bars, scarcely reticulated; B. 12; D. 13; A. 13;
lat. 1. 100; length scarcely a foot. Atlantic streams, with

256 FISHES.

the preceding. (E. niger, scomberius, fasciatus and
ornatus of authors.) Represented S. of Va. by P. ra-
venelii. (Holbr.)

3. P. salmoneus, (Raf.) Jordan. LITTLE PICKEREL.
WESTERN TROUT PICKEREL. Size and general form of
preceding or slenderer; olivaceous green above; white
below; sides with many reticulations and curved streaks,
instead of bars; a black streak in front of eye as well as
below; B.12; D. 13; A. 14; lat. 1. 112. Western streams,
abundant in the Ohio Valley. (E. cypho^ E. porosus^
Cope, etc.) (E. umbrosus, Kirtland.) Resembles reticu-
latus more than americanus.

FAMILY CIIL— AMBLYOPSID^E.

(TJie Cave Fishes.)

Fishes with the ventral fins rudimentary or wanting;
the vent jugular, in front of the pectorals, and the eyes
sometimes rudimentary and concealed under the skin;
margins of upper jaw formed by intermaxillaries alone;
head naked; body with small, cycloid scales, irregularly
arranged; no lateral line; villiform teeth on jaws and
palate; dorsal far back, opposite anal; stomach coecal,
with pyloric appendages; some (and probably all) vivi-
parous.

Fishes of small size living in subterranean streams and
ditches of the central and southern U. S. Three genera
and four species are " all of the family yet known, but
that others will be discovered and the range of the
present known species extended is very probable. The
ditches and small streams of the lowlands of our South-
ern Coast will undoubtedly be found to be the home of
numerous individuals, and perhaps of new species and
genera, while the subterranean streams of the central

AMBLYOPSHXE. — CIII. 257

portion of our country most likely contain other species."

(Putnam.)

* Eyes rudimentary, concealed under the skin ; body colorless.

Ventrals present, small. . . . AMBLYOPSIS, 1.

Ventrals entirely wanting. . . TYPHLICHTHYS, 2.
** Eyes well developed ; body colored ; no ventrals.

CHOLOGASTER, 3.

/. AMBLYOPSIS, DeKay. LARGER BLIND FISH.

1. A. spel&us, DeKay. BLIND FISH OF THE MAM-
MOTH CAVE. Head 3 in length; D. and A. equal, well
developed; head and body with papillary ridges; scales
small; colorless; D. 10; A. 9; V. 4; P. 11; length 2 to
5 inches. Subterranean streams of Ky. and Iiid. Mam-
moth Cave, Wyandot Cave, etc.

2. TYPHLICHTHYS, Girard. SMALL BLIND FISH.

1. T. subterraneus, Grd. General character of Am-
blyopsis, but the head rather blunter and broader for-
wards; D. 7 or 8; A. 7 or 8; P. 12; length 2 inches or
less. Subterranean streams in Ky., Tenn., Ala.

3. CHOLOGASTER, Agassiz. DITCH FISHES.

1. C. cornutus, Ag. Head 3 in length; eye moderate,
well developed; snout with two horn-like projections;
yellowish brown, dark above; sides with three dark lines,
becoming dots on the tail; middle rays of C. dark, fins
otherwise uncolored; D. 8 or 9; A. 8 or 9; P. 12; length
2 to 2 \ inches. Ditches in a rice field, Waccamaw, S. C.
Three specimens known.

2. C. agassizii, Putnam. Head 4 in length; eyes
larger; uniform light brown, otherwise as above; length
1 to 2 inches. Subterranean streams in Tenn. and Ky.

17

258 FISHES.

SUB - OEDER - ISOSPOND YLL

(The Trout-like Fishes.)

FAMILY CIV.— PERCOPSID^E. .

(The Trout Perches.}

Body covered with moderate-sized ctenoid scales; head
naked; no barbels; opercles well developed; gill open-
ings wide; an adipose fin; jaws with villiform teeth; no
teeth on vomer or palate; margin of upper jaw formed
by intermaxillaries alone ; branchiostegals six. A single
genus and one or two species inhabiting the fresh waters
of the northern U. S. Interesting little fishes, with the
general characters of Salmonidoe^ but having the mouth
and scales decidedly Perch-like.

/. PERCOPSIS, Agassiz. TROUT PERCHES.
1. P. guitatus, Ag. Depth 4J in length; head 3f;
silvery, almost pellucid; upper parts with rounded dark
spots made up of minute dots; D. 11; A. 7; L. 10.
Great Lakes; Ohio R. (Jordan)', Potomac R. (Baird}\
Delaware R. (Abbott.)

FAMILY CV. — SALMONID^E.

(The Trout.)

Head naked, body scaly, no barbels; margin of upper
jaw formed by intermaxillaries mesially and by maxil-
laries laterally; adipose fin present; belly rounded; air
bladder large, simple; pseudobranchke present; pyloric
appendages usually numerous; eggs falling into the
cavity of the abdomen before exclusion. Fresh waters
of northern regions, many species periodically descend-
ing to the sea; a few permanently marine.

Genera sixteen ; species one hundred and sixty. The

SALMONID^E. — CV. 259

variations due to age, sex and food are very great, and
have led to the establishment of a great number of nomi-
nal species in all the leading genera, particularly in
Salmo.

* Jaws with evident teeth.

f Dorsal moderate of less than 20 rays; teeth strong, on jaws,

vomer and tongue.

\ Scales small ; partly imbedded in the skin ; lat. 1. 100 or
more SALMO, 1.

\\ Scales moderate, deciduous, not imbedded ; lat. 1. 60 to 70.

OSMERUS, 2.
ft Dorsal veiy high of 20 or more rays ; teeth small.

THYMALLUS, 3.
** Teeth wanting or reduced to slight roughnesses ; scales rather

large, loose.

a. Lower jaw longer than upper, or if not, body slender, sub-
fusiform ARGYROSOMUS, 4.

CM. Upper jaw notably longest; body more or less elevated.

COREGONUS, 5.

/. SALMO, Linnaeus. SALMONS.

> SalmO) Fario, Salar^ Trutta, Umbla^ Hucho, Sal-
velini) etc., of Authors.

* Anadromous species, running up from the sea into fresh water

to spawn ; the young remaining there for a time, then return-
ing to the sea where they remain except during the season
of reproduction; upper jaw in males moderately if at all
hooked. (Salmo.)

1. 5. salar, L. GREAT SEA SALMON. No red spots;
young (Parr. Smolt) with dusky cross bars; males in
the spawning season with the lower jaw strongly re-
curved and hooked; body covered with black and red
patches; others silvery, with small black dots; eleven or
twelve scales in a transverse series from behind the adi-

260 FISHES.

pose fin obliquely forward to the lateral line; D. 14; A.
11; lat. 1. 120. Northern Europe and America, S. to
Cape Cod.

** Species not auadromous, living entirely in fresh water or only

occasionally passing down to the sea. (Trout.)
f In flowing fresh water, retiring to deeper places in winter ;
red-spotted. (Hucho — part.)

2. S. fontina/iSf Mitchill. BROOK TROUT. SPECKLED
TROUT. Mouth wide; teeth moderate; body olivaceous,
variegated with blackish, with numerous red spots;
lower fins usually orange with black and white marginal
bands; dorsal with black spots; colors variable; young
barred; D. 12; A. 12; lat. 1. 200. A well known and
beautiful fish, in clear brooks from the French Broad R.
to the Arctic regions.

f f In deep rivers or lakes, ascending shallow streams to spawn.
a. Red-spotted.

3. S. oquassa, Grd. BLUE -BACK TROUT. OQUASSA.
Slender, "the most graceful of all the trouts;" blue or
bluish above; sides and below silvery in female, orange
in male; sides spotted with orange in both sexes; upper
fins bluish, bordered with orange ; lower fins fiery orange,
margined with white. Oquassa L. and other lakes in
Maine.

aa. Black-spotted.

4. 5. sebago, Grd. SEBAGO LAKE TROUT. UNIOX
RIVER TROUT. Everywhere black-spotted; scales quite
large; D. 14; A. 10; V. 10; lat. 1. 115. Sebago L.,
Union R., and other waters in Maine. (S. gloveri, Grd.)

fff Trout living in deep fresh water lakes, coming to the shores
to spawn in shallow water ; never entering running brooks
or passing to the sea. (Trutta.)

5. S. namaycush, Pennant. MACKINAW TROUT. GREAT
LAKE TROUT. .. Stout; head very large, 3^ in length;

261

bones of head strong; posterior point of juncture of
opercle and sub-opercle much nearer the upper end of
the gill opening than to the lower anterior angle of the
sub-opercle; teeth strong; fins large, the caudal deeply
forked; color grayish, more or less spotted, varying much
with circumstances; D. 13 to 14; A. 12; V. 9; lat. 1.
220 length 2 to 6 feet. All the Great Lakes, north to
the Arctic Sea; a fish of much firmer flesh than the next.
(S. amethystus, Mit.)

6. S. siscowet, Agassiz. SISCOWET. L. SUPERIOR
TROUT. Stout; head smaller, 4^ in length; posterior
point of junction of opercle and sub-opercle nearer to
the lower anterior angle of sub-opercle than to the upper
end of gill opening; fins and teeth well developed but
weaker than in S. namaycush • ventrals farther back;
caudal less forked; flesh fat and not firm; grayish, with
round white spots and markings; D. 12 to 14; A. 12;
lat. 1. 200. L. Superior, L. Huron.

7. S. confinis, Mit. -LAKE TROUT OF NEW YORK.
Blackish, with gray spots; body unusually short and
thick. Lakes of Central and Western N. Y. ; a doubtful
species.

8. S. symmetrica, Prescott. WINNIPISEOGEE TROUT.
Grayish and brown above, marbled with darker; white
below; body unusually slender and symmetrical. Lake
Winnipiseogee ; also a doubtful species.

2. OSMERUS, Linnaeus. SMELTS.
1. 0. mordax, (Mit.) Gill. COMMON SMELT. Head
4 in length; eye 4 to 4^ in head; teeth stout, especially
large on the tongue; transparent greenish, a silvery band
along sides; scales very loose; D. 11; A. 15; lat. 1. 66.
Coast, Nova Scotia to Virginia; also "land-locked" in
fresh water ponds in Maine, etc. (O. wridescens, Mit.)

262 FISHES.

Var. spectrum, (Cope) Jordan. LAND-LOCKED SMELT.
Head 4£ in length; eye large, 3 in head; depth 8^ in
length. Wilton Pond, Maine.

Var. abbottii, (Cope) Jordan. ABBOTT'S SMELT. Head
;4f in length; eye 4^ in head; depth 7 in length; colors
dark; lat. 1. 68. Cobessicontic L., Maine.

3. THYMALLUS, Cuvier. GRAYLINGS.

1. T. tricolor, Cope. MICHIGAN GRAYLING. Depth
4f in length ; head about the same ; purplish gray, silvery
below; dorsal with rosy markings and rows of green or
blue spots; D. 27; A. 13; lat. 1. 97. Waters of the
north part of the S. peninsula of Michigan; a beautiful
fish.

4. ARGYROSOMUS, Agassiz. SISCOES.
* Body snb-fusiform ; depth 4 to 5 iii length.

1. A. clupeiformis, (Mitch.) Ag. LAKE HERRING.
MICHIGAN HERRING. Head 4f in length (4^ to 5^);
depth 4 (3| to 4£); eye 4 in head; maxillary 3J to 3f ;
mandible 2J; scales rather large and loose; bluish above,
silvery on sides and below; D. 12; A. 13; lat. 1. 7G;
length 12 to 18 inches. Great Lakes, etc., very abun-
dant; a shallow water species. (Coregonus albus, artedi^
luciduS) harengus, etc. of authors.)

2. A. sisco, Jordan. Sisco OF LAKE TIPPECANOE.
Head 4-J; depth 4^; eye 3| in head; maxillary 3£; man-
dible 2-J; longest dorsal ray three times length of shortest;
steel blue above, sides silvery but without the clear lustre
of A. hoyi, finely punctate; D. 11; A. 13; lat. 1. 84.
Lakes of Indiana and Wisconsin, living in deep water
except at the spawning season; very close to the preced-
ing, of which it is probably a variety, but the habits are
more like those of the next.

HYODONTIDJ3. — CVI. 263

3. A. nigripinnis, Gill. BLACK FIN. Head 44^ in
length; depth the same; eye 4 in head; body compressed;
fins blackish, darker than in the others; D. 12; A. 12;
lat. 1. 80; length 16 to 18 inches; a much larger fish
than the preceding or the next. Lake Michigan, in deep
water.

4. A. hoyi, Gill. Sisco OF LAKE MICHIGAN. Head 4
in length; depth 4^; eye large, 3f in head; maxillary
2f; mandible 2; longest ray of dorsal four times the
length of the shortest; upper jaw somewhat projecting,
the mouth appearing much as in Coregonus • bluish
above, sides lustrous silvery, more brilliant than in any
other species; D. 11; A. 12; lat. 1. 74; length 8 inches.
Smallest and handsomest of the Siscoes, in the deep
waters of the Upper Lakes.

** Body elevated ; depth about 3 in length.

5. A. tu//ibee, (Rich.) Ag. TULLIBEE. Head 4| in
length; D. 15; A. 15; lat. 1. 77. L. Superior and N.

5. COREGONUS, Linnaeus. WHITE FISHES.
1. C. a/bus, LeSueur. LAKE WHITE FISH. Depth
3J in length; head small, 5^; eye 4 in head, about as
long as snout; form varying much with age, sex and
food; pale olive above; sides white; D. 13; A. 13; lat.
1. 75 to 86. Great Lakes and bodies of water tributary
to them, north to the Arctic Sea. (Various other species
have been described within our limits, but it is impossible
to distinguish them.)

FAMILY CVI.— HYODONTID^E.

(The Moon Eyes)

Body much compressed, covered with large, silvery
cycloid scales; head naked; margin of upper jaw formed
by intermaxillaries mesially and by maxillaries laterally;

264 FISHES.

no barbels; no adipose fin; lateral line distinct; abdo-
men not serrated, compressed; moderate sized teeth on
jaws, vomer, sphenoid, hyoid, pterygoid and palatine
bones; tongue with large teeth; head short, deep; eye
very large; gill openings wide; one pyloric appendage;
air bladder simple. A single species, inhabiting our
Western Streams and the Great Lakes.

/. HYODON, LeSueur. MOON EYES.

1. H. tergisus, LeSueur. MOON EYE. SILVER BASS.
TOOTHED HERRING. Depth 374 in length; head 4f;
snout rounded, shorter than the large eye, which is 3^ in
head; scales largest on the flanks; pale olivaceous above,
sides brilliantly -silvery; D. 3, 12; A. 30; V. 7; lat. 1.
59; length 1 foot. Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley
abundant; one of our most beautiful fresh water fishes;
variable; it has been described under many names.

FAMILY CVIL — CLUPEID^E.

(The Herrings.)

Body scaly; head naked; abdomen compressed to an
edge and sharply serrated; margin of upper jaw formed
by intermaxillaries mesially and maxillaries laterally;
maxillaries composed of three pieces which are some-
times movable; teeth usually minute or wanting ; dorsal
moderate; anal often very long; scales usually large and
loose; no lateral line; gills well developed; posterior
part of tongue usually provided on each side with a row
of conspicuous " gill rakers " ; gill openings wide.

In most seas, many species entering fresh water to
spawn, a few remaining permanently. As here restricted,
there are about twelve genera, and one hundred and
twenty species. Many are highly valued as food fishes,

CLUPEID^S. — CVII. 265

* Upper jaw not projecting beyond the lower.
f Teeth wanting or on tongue only (rarely a few weak teeth in
jaws) no dorsal filament; scales regularly arranged, not
ciliated; upper jaw einargiuate.

\ Depth 3i in length; cheeks higher than long; preopercle
with a very short horizontal process. . ALOSA, 1.
\\ Depth 3 J to 3f in length ; cheeks longer than high ; pre-
opercle with an oblong horizontal process.

POMOLOBUS, 2.

** Upper jaw projecting beyond the lower. (DOROSOMIN^E.)
a. Body compressed, deep ; last ray of dorsal filamentous ;
inoutli toothless ...... DOROSOMA, 3.

/. ALOSA, Cuvier. SHADS.

1. A. sapidissima, (Wilson) Storer. COMMON SHAD.
Head 4£ in length; eye 5 in head; bluish, sides silvery;
scales large; D. 18; A. 21; V. 9; lat, 1. 68. Newfound-
land to Florida, entering rivers; also lately introduced
into Western streams; a valuable food fish. (A.prcesta-
lilts, DeK.)

2. POMOLOBUS, Rafinesque. GASPEREAUS.

1. P. pseudoharengus, (Wils.) Gill. ALEWIPE. GAS-
PEREAU. SPRING HERRING. Head 5 in length; eye 4
in head; bluish, sides iridescent; D. 18; A. 18; V. 9.
Newfoundland to Florida, entering rivers, sometimes
land-locked in ponds; a common food fish. (A. tyrannus,
DeK. A. cyanonoton, Stor., etc., etc.)

Var. lacusiris, Jordan. CAYUGA LAKE SHAD. Head
4 in length; body much heavier forward than in the
others; depth ftf head 4^ in length of body; eye large,
longer than snout, 3 in head; scales large, loose; caudal
peduncle in its narrowest place not half wider than eye;
steel blue, punctate; sides silvery; D. 15; A. 19; lat. 1.
12

266 FISHES.

45; 33 scutes in all, 13 behind ventrals. Cayuga L.,
N. Y., dredged in deep water. ( Wilder.)

2. P. chrysochloris, Raf. OHIO GOLDEN SHAD. SKIP
JACK. Head 4 in length; eye 4^ in head; body ellipti-
cal, much compressed; scales large, high, rather firm;
depth of head 5|- in length of body; caudal peduncle
about twice width of eye ; brilliant blue with green and
golden reflections, silvery below; D. 18; A. 18; lat. 1. 55;
17 scutes behind ventrals. Ohio R. and lower Mississippi;
a handsome species.

3. DOROSOMA, Rafinesque. GIZZAED SHADS.
= Chatoessus, Cuvier.

1. D. cepedianum, (Lac.) Gill. HICKORY SHAD.
GIZZARD SHAD. Head 4 in length; depth 2f ; origin of
dorsals behind ventrals, nearer snout than caudal; uni-
form bluish gray; often with a dark shoulder blotch; D.
13; A. 32; lat. 1. 55. Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras,
chiefly marine, but often land - locked in ponds, where it
becomes D. insociabile, Abbott.

2. D. notatum, Raf. OHIO GIZZARD SHAD. THREAD
SHAD. Head 3£ in length; depth 2f to 3 in length;
dorsal about midway, slightly behind ventrals; dorsal
filament nearly one-fourth length of body; bluish, sides
bright silvery. Ohio R. and lower Mississippi, apparently
not descending to the sea; not well distinguished from
the preceding and perhaps the same. (C. ellipticus, Kirt.)

. — cvm. 267

SUB- OEDEE. -EVEBTOGSTATHI.

(The Carp -like Fishes.)

FAMILY CVIIL — CYPRINID^E.

(The Minnows.)

Head naked, body scaly (except in Meda, etc.); mar-
gin of upper jaw formed by intermaxillaries alone;
mouth toothless; lips much less developed than in the
Catostomoids; barbels two to four (absent in most of our
genera and not large in any) ; lower pharyngeal bones
well developed, falciform, nearly parallel with the gill
arches, each provided with one to three series of teeth
in small number, never more than seven; belly usually
rounded, rarejy compressed, never serrated; gill openings
moderate, separated by a narrow isthmus; no adipose
fin ; dorsal fin (in all our species) short, of less than ten
rays; air bladder usually large, commonly divided into
an anterior and a posterior lobe, rarely wanting; stomach
without appendages, appearing as a simple enlargement
of the intestines.

Small fishes of the fresh waters of the Old World and
of North America. Genera about one hundred and fifty,
species seven hundred to one thousand; excessively
abundant where found, both in individuals and in species,
and from their great uniformity in size, form and color-
ation, constituting one of the most difficult groups in all
Natural History in which to distinguish species. Ours
are mostly of smaller size than those of the Old World,
several of the larger European types being represented
in America by Catostomoid forms. Our largest species,
Semotilus rhotheus, rarely attains a weight of three or
four pounds, and a length of nearly eighteen inches.

268 FISHES.

The smaller Hybopses and Hemitremioe, scarcely reach a
length of two inches.

The spring or breeding dress in many genera is
peculiar. Often the top of the head, and sometimes the
whole dorsal region also, is covered in the males with
rows of spinous tubercles, outgrowths from the epider-
mis, and usually the skin of the muzzle is then swollen
and charged with pigment. In Semotilus and Ceratich-
thys these tubercles are quite large and cover the front
and sides of the head; in Pimephales and Hyborhynchus
they are placed entirely on the front of the obtuse snout;
in Campostoma the whole dorsal region, and sometimes
the whole body, is rough with large tubercles; in Luxi-
lus, PlargyruS) Lythrurus, Gila and Minnilus the
prickles are quite small and crowded on the upper surface
of the head and neck.

In some genera, the males in spring are adorned with
bright tints of red, which give these little fishes a
temporary brilliancy scarcely surpassed even by Trouts
or Darters. In JLuxilus, Lythrurus, C ampostoma, and
Semotilus^ the red appears chiefly as pigment in the
membranes of some or all of the fins, the sides of the
body being usually more or less flushed; in Rhinichthys
and Gila, the black of a portion of the lateral band
usually changes to red; in Chrosomus, and probably
Phoxinus, the pigment lies mostly in the skin of the
belly, and in Minnilus it is chiefly about the head and
the bases of the fins. In Pimephales and Hyborhynchus^
black pigment is deposited in the skin of the head, and
in the species of the sub-genus Plargyrus, satin-white
pigment occurs in the fins. So far as is known to me,
the species of Hybopsis, Hemitremia, Hybognathus,
Photogenis, Phenacobius^ Exoglossum, Notemigonus,
Ericymba. and the sub -genus Erinemus of Cera-

CYPKINTDJS. — cvm. 269

tichthyS) -with one or two exceptions, show no special
variations in the breeding season, but this matter needs
further investigation.

The genera given below appear to be well character-
ized, although several are very closely related, and the
occurrence of intermediate forms may require them to
be reunited. Lythrurus and Plargyrus are properly
sub-genera of Luxilus, but they show so many external
peculiarities that I have, for the present, given them
generic rank. Most of the species here admitted have
been pretty thoroughly tested by the author, though
there are several, particularly under Hybopsis^ which I
do not like to indorse.

NOTE.- -Young CyprinidcB usually are more slender than adults
of the same species, and the eye is always much larger; they also
frequently show a black lateral stripe and caudal spot which the
adults may not possess. Spots on the fins are generally charac-
teristic. The following artificial key will generally hold good for
adult fishes, but only great patience and long and careful observa-
tion will enable the student to identify the young. The accounts
of the pharyngeal teeth are taken from Prof. Cope's invaluable
"Monograph of the Cyprinidm of Pennsylvania," but most of
them have been verified by the author. It has been thought best
to make the dental characters subordinate in the present work,
but the student is strongly advised to examine the teeth of these
fishes, as the actual characters of the genera are largely drawn
from them.

* Native species ; fins without serrated spines.

f Dorsal preceded by a short, spinous ray, which is connected
by a membrane to the soft rays (about half the height of
the fin, and appearing as if broken off) ; snout short and
blunt, overlapping the small mouth ; front of muzzle with
about a dozen large tubercles in spring males; fins low;
dorsal with a black spot in front, about half way up ; peri-
toneum black ; intestines long, two to three times length of
body ; teeth one-rowed, 4-4, with masticatory surface.

270 FISHES.

a. Lateral line complete ; body elongated ; angle of mouth

usually with a small barbel. . HYBORHYNCHUS, 4.
aa. Lateral line incomplete ; body very short ; no barbels.

PIMEPHALES, 3.

ff Dorsal without spine, the rudimentary ray in front smaller
and firmly attached to the first developed ray.

b. "With a small barbel (often very minute) at each angle of

the mouth ; alimentary canal not longer than body ; teeth
hooked, without masticatory surface.

c. Intermaxillaries not projectile, skin of lip and front
continuous; mouth rather inferior, beneath the promi-
nent snout; scales small, usually mottled; lat. 1. 60 to
70 ; sides rosy in Spring ; isthmus wide ; teeth 2, 4-4, 2.

RHLNICHTHYS, 9.

cc. Intermaxillaries projectile; species usually of larger
size or with larger scales.

d. Mouth very wide, oblique; head broad, rounded; jaws
nearly equal ; the minute barbel just above the angle
of the mouth ; often a black spot on front base of
dorsal ; teeth 2, 5-4, 2. ... SEMOTILUS, 7.

dd. Species usually of smaller size; the mouth rather
narrow and more or less inferior, with the small but
evident barbel at its angle ; no spot at base of dorsal ;
teeth 4-4 ; or 1 or 2, 4-4, 1 or 2. CERATICHTHYS, 8.

J&. Angle of mouth without traces of a barbel.

e. Mouth terminal, more or less oblique; the jaws about
even, or the lower somewhat projecting. (Upper jaw
sometimes swollen and projecting in spring males of
Luxilus and Semotilus.)

f Anal with twelve or more developed rays ; body ele-
vated, abdomen compressed; lateral line greatly
decurved; mouth short, oblique; lower jaw rather
longest; dorsal behind ventrals; intestinal canal
long; teeth one-rowed, crenate, with masticatory
surface ; rather large species, with a silvery or golden
lustre NOTEMIGONUS, 21.

jf. Anal with seven to eleven (rarely twelve) developed rays.

CYPKINID^E. — CVIII. 271

g. Lateral line incomplete or wanting ; mouth oblique ;
size small.

h. Scales very small ; lat. 1. more than 60 ; dorsal
behind ventrals.

i. Body very stout ; head short and heavy ; mouth
large; a single black lateral band; back
unspotted ; alimentary canal short ; teeth two-
rowed, inner 5-4, without masticatory surface.

PHOXINUS, 14.

it. Body moderately stout, graceful ; sides with one
or two black bands ; back spotted ; belly, etc.,
brilliant red in spring; alimentary canal
elongate; teeth one-rowed, 4r-5 or 5-5, with
masticatory surface. . CHBOSOMUS, 13.

tih. Scales rather large ; lateral line less than 40 ;
small species with a dark lateral band; teeth
4-4 or 5^i, with masticatory surface.

HEMITREMIA, 12.

gg. Lateral line complete (rarely obsolete on the last
four or five scales) ; alimentary canal short.

j. Dorsal decidedly behind ventrals ; mouth oblique,
usually large, the lower jaw commonly project-
ing ; elongated species, generally of small size,
more or less compressed, with the caudal
peduncle long; males rosy and with small
tubercles in spring; teeth two-rowed.

k. Scales very small ; lat. 1. 45 to 75 ; dorsal without
spots ; scarcely silvery ; sides and below red
in spring ; anal fin short, with eight or nine
rays ; teeth 5-4 (inner series), without masti-
catory surface GILA, 15.

kk. Scales rather small, especially in front of dorsal,
larger along the sides and crowded so that the
exposed surfaces are decidedly higher than
long as in I/uxilus; lat. 1. 40 to 50; fins very
high, bright red in the spring, a large black
spot at base of dorsal in front ; anal fin long,

272 FISHES.

of ten or eleven rays; teeth 2, 4-4, 2, with
masticatory surface. . LYTHRUIIUS, 16.

kkk. Scales rather large, not closely imbricated,
brilliantly silvery; lat. 1. 35 to 40; fins un-
spotted, uncolored; forehead, etc., rosy in
spring : anal fin rather long, of nine to twelve
rays; body elongate ; teeth (inner series) 4-4,
usually without masticatory surface.

MINNILUS, 20.

jj. Dorsal directly above ventrals (rarely slightly pos-
terior) ; anal short, of eight or nine rays.
I. Lateral line with less than 45 scales.

m. Scales quite large, closely imbricated, the ex-
posed portion being much higher than long,
especially on the sides of the body, very
conspicuously so in adults; body corn-
pressed; lateral line decurved; mouth
oblique ; males with the head tuberculate
in spring.

— Dorsal fin directly over ventrals, without

distinct black spot ; sides and fins with
red pigment in spring ; mouth and eyes
large; anal commonly I, 9; teeth 2,
4-4, 2 with masticatory surface.

LUXILUS, 17.

— Dorsal fin slightly behind ventrals, with

a large black blotch behind ; pigment
on sides and fins pure satin white;
mouth and eyes rather small ; A. nor-
mally I, 8; teeth 1, 4-4, 1, sometimes
crenate. . . PLARGYRUS, 18.
mm. Scales normal, not closely imbricated.
n. Elongated, compressed species with the
mouth very oblique, and the lower jaw
usually projecting; scales generally bril-
liantly silvery; eye large; lateral line 35
to 40; inner row of teeth 4-4, without
masticatory surface. r PHOTOGENIS, 19.

CYPRTNID^E. — CVIII. 273

nn. Small weak species, with the head short,
mouth small, and the lower jaw usually
not projecting; scales scarcely silvery;
inner row of teeth 4-4, with masticatory
surface. . . . HYBOPSIS, 11.

II. Lateral line with more than 45 scales ; head broad
and large; body little compressed; teeth with-
out masticatory surface, 2, 5-4, 2.

SEMOTILUS, 7.

. Mouth inferior, scarcely oblique, the upper jaw being
notably longest.

1. Intestinal canal about eight times the length of the

body, its numerous convolutions entirely surround-
ing the small air-bladder; peritoneum black ; head
rather long and narrow, with sub- vertical cheeks;
lips with cartilaginous sheaths ; eyes well back and
high up the head, the iris orange-colored; scales
rather small, more or less mottled; a blackish verti-
cal bar behind head and a dusky band across dorsal
and anal, which in spring males is bordered with
fiery orange; back and head coarsely tuberculated
in $ in spring; teeth 4-4, with oblique masticatory
surface CAMPOSTOMA, 2.

2. Sub-orbital bone, interopercle and base of mandible

much dilated, cavernous, crossed by large mucous
channels (these readily seen under any circum-
stances, by looking at the head of the fish from
beloio); snout thick; slender fishes, brightly silvery;
teeth 1, 4-4, 0, hooked, without masticatory surface.

ERICYMBA, 6.

3. Mandible much contracted, with a lobe on each side at

base; the middle portion appearing like a protrud-
ing tongue; intermaxillaries not projectile; stout
species, dusky in color; teeth 1,4-4, 1, hooked, with-
out masticatory surface. . . EXOGLOSSUM, 1.

4. Lips large, defended by a cartilaginous sheath on their

opposing edges, somewhat plicate or tuberculate;
18

274 FISHES.

elongate species of small size, resembling young
suckers ; teeth 4-4, hooked, sharp-edged.

PHENACOBIUS, 10.

5. Intermaxillaries not projectile, the skin of lip and

forehead being continous ; small dark species with
60 or more scales in the lateral line.

RHINICHTHYS, 9.

6. Scales high, closely imbricated ; body compressed,

silvery ; dorsal with a black blotch behind ; snout
with small tubercles and fins with satiny pigment
in spring; teeth 1, 4-4, 1. . . PLARGYRUS, 18.

7. Small fishes — silvery or plumbeous, with none of the

preceding combinations.

o. Jaws with sharp cutting edges ; intestines much con-
voluted, about four times the length of the head and
body; peritoneum black; size moderate; scales
brightly silvery ; teeth 4-4, with oblique mastica-
tory surface and no hook. . HYBOGNATHUS, 5.

oo. Jaws not trenchant ; intestines not longer than head
and body ; peritoneum pale ; scales various, rather
large; small, weak species; teeth one or two-
rowed, inner series 4-4. . . HYBOPSIS, 11.

** Introduced species ; dorsal very long and anal short, each
being preceded by a stout spine which is serrated behind.

p. Mouth with four long barbels; teeth molar 3, 1-1, 3.

CYPRINUS, 23.
pp. No barbels ; teeth compressed, 4-4. . CARASSIUS, 22.

/. EXOGLOSSUM, Rafinesque. STONE TOTEES.

1. E. maxil lingua, (LeS.) Haldeman. DAY CHUB.
CUT - LIPS. NIGGER CHUB. Body stout ; depth 4£ in
length, head 4; eye small, nearly 5 in head; dorsal be-
hind midway between snout and caudal ; dusky above,
a blackish shade along caudal peduncle; D. I, 8; A. I, 8;
lat. 1. 50 to 55; L. 4 to 6. W. N. Y. (Susquehanna basin)

275

to Tenn. and S.; a fish of remarkable appearance, singu-
larly distinguished from all our other CyprinidcB by the
three-lobed lower jaw.

2. E. mirabile, Grd. WESTERN STONE TOTER. Head
5 in length; dorsal nearer snout; D. I, 9 ; A. I, 8.
Arkansas R.

2. CAMPOSTOMA, Agassiz. STONE LUGGERS.
1. C. anomalum, (Raf.) Ag. STONE LUGGER. STONE
ROLLER. Brownish, with a brassy lustre above, the
scales more or less mottled with dark; a black vertical
bar behind opercle; iris usually orange-red; dorsal and
anal each with dusky cross-bar about half way up, the
rest of the fin olivaceous, or in spring males fiery orange ;
males in spring with many rounded tubercles on head, and
usually the whole upper surface — in no other genus are
these nuptial appendages so extensively developed —
scales deep, rather small and crowded anteriorly; intes-
tinal canal six to nine times the total length of the body,
its numerous convolutions passing above and around the
air-bladder, an arrangement found in Campostoma alone
among all the Vertebrates; D. I, 8; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 50 to
55; L. 4 to 8; herbivorous. Mississippi Valley, every-
where abundant; one of the most curious and interesting
of American fishes. [C. dubium, (Kirt.) Cope. C. cal-
lipteryx, gobioninum, etc., Cope.]

3. PIMEPHALES, Rafinesque. ROUND -HEADED

MINNOWS.

1. P. prome/as, Raf. FAT -HEAD. BLACK HEAD.
Head almost globular, black in adult males; snout in $
with several large tubercles; body very short and deep;
scales crowded; eye small; mouth very small and short;
a large black dorsal blotch; males dusky; females oliva-

276 FISHES.

ceous; D. I, 7; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 46; L. 2J. Ohio Valley
to Upper Missouri. Known at sight, as it resembles
nothing else.

2. P. milesii, Cope. MILES' MINNOW. Snout longer;
eye larger; mouth larger; color paler, usually a blackish
lateral stripe; D. I, 8; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 40. Mich, to Ky.
(P. agassizii, Cope.)

4. HYBORHYNCHUS, Agassiz. BLUNT-NOSED MINNOWS.

1. H. notatus, (Raf.) Ag. BLUNT-NOSED MINNOW.
Brownish or bluish, a dusky shade along sides sometimes
forming a caudal spot; a distinct black spot on middle
of front rays of dorsal; head short; snout in spring
males with disproportionately large tubercles, usually
fourteen in all; a distinct barbel at each angle of the
mouth; scales in front of dorsal small and crowded;
D. I, 8; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 45; L. 3 to 4. N. Y. to Tenn.,
Wis., and Mo.; very abundant in the Ohio Valley. (If.
superciliosus, Cope. This form, said to be distinguished
from the true " notatus " by the presence of the barbel,
is the only one I have yet seen. Specimens from
Rafinesque's original locality possess the barbel.)

5. HYBOGNATHUS, Agassiz. BLUNT- JAWED MINNOWS.

1. H. nuchalis, Ag. BLUNT - JAWED MINNOW. Smaller
and more dusky than the next; eye small, shorter than
snout, 4 to 4^ in head; depth 4J in length, about equal
to length of head; scales in front of dorsal very small
and crowded; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1.38; L. 2|. Ohio
Valley and W. This and the next may be readily known
from the Hybopses, which they strongly resemble exter-
nally, by the peculiarities of the intestines.

2. H. argyritis, Grd. SILVERY MINNOW. Olivaceous

. — cvm. 277

green above, sides clear silvery with bright reflections;
fins unspotted; eye large, longer than muzzle, 3 to 4 in
head; depth 4£ in length; scales in front of dorsal quite
large; lateral line decurved; head large, upper jaw
heavy; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 38; L. 5. N. J. to N. C.
and W. to the Upper Missouri; abundant in the larger
streams; one of our handsomest dace. (Jf. osmerimts,
Cope, not in the least different!)

6. ERICYMBA, Cope. ERICYMBAS.

1. E. buccata, Cope. SILVER - MOUTHED DACE.
Elongated; depth nearly 5 in length; head 4; eye
large, 3 in head; olivaceous above, sides brilliantly
silvery, a narrow vertebral line, and a lateral chain of
brown dots; upper jaw rather large, its profile angulated;
mucous channels in lower jaw very conspicuous; D. I, 8;
A. I, 8; lat, 1. 33; L. 5. Ohio Valley, Penn. to Tenn.
(Jordan] and Illinois, abundant. A beautiful little fish
singularly distinguished from all our other species by
the cavernous bones of the head.

7. SEMOTILUS, Rafinesque. FALL FISH.

* Scales moderate, crowded forwards, 55 or more in lateral line ;
a black spot at base of dorsal in front. (Semotilus.)

1. S. corpora/is, (Mitch.) Putnam. COMMON CHUB..
HORNED DACE. Body stout, depth 4£ in length; head
large, 3f ; dusky above, especially along edges of scales;
sides bluish, a black lateral band in young; silvery
below, sides and fins flushed with crimson in spring;
D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 55 to 65; L. 10 to 12. New
England (Housatonic R., Jordan) to the Missouri region
and S.; the most widely diffused of our Cyprinidce,
excepting Ceratichthys melanot/tis. It may be known
under all circumstances by the large head and the

278 FISHES.

peculiar dorsal spot. ($. atromaculatus, dorsalis,
cephalus, speciosus, etc., etc., of authors.)

Var. pallidus, (Grd.) Jordan. PALE CHUB. Differs
in its pale color and slightly smaller scales. Missouri
region and S.

** Scales larger, scarcely crowded anteriorly; lat. 1. 45 to 55; no
dorsal spot. (Leucosomus, Hseckel.)

2. S. argenteus, (Storer) Putn. EASTERN CHUB.
ROACH. Brownish, sides roseate; depth 4|- in length;
head 4; eye 5 in head; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 51; L. 12
to 14. New England and New York. [$. pulchellus,
(Storer) Gill.]

3. S. rhotheus, Cope. BIG CHUB. ROSY FALL FISH.
Steel, blue above, sides silvery, rosy in spring; propor-
tions of the last; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 46; the largest
of our Cyprinidce, reaching a length of 18 inches.
Mass, to Md., in the larger streams.

8. CERATICHTHYS, Baird. HORNED CHUBS.

> Nocomis, Grd.

< Gobio, Cuvier (European).

* Mouth nearly terminal ; rather large species, scarcely silvery,
resembling Semotilus. (Ceratichthys.)

f Lateral line with 40 to 45 scales.

1. C. melanotus, (Raf. ) Jordan. HORNED CHUB.
JERKER. Bluish olive, sides with bright green and
coppery reflections; a curved blotch behind the opercle;
fins pale orange, unspotted; white below, rosy in spring;
adult males in the spring with the top of the head
very much swollen, elevated into a sort of crest, some-
times nearly one-third of an inch higher than the level
of the neck, covered with large tubercles; a stout
species, with large scales which are not crowded

CYPRINIDJS. — cvin. 279

anteriorly; young with a dark caudal spot; head 4
in length; depth nearly the same; D. I, 8; A. I, 7; lat.
1. 40 to 45; L. 6 to 9. Penn. to Utah and S.; abundant
almost everywhere; the most widely diffused of all our
fresh water fishes. \C. biyuttatus, (Kirt.) Bd., C. stig-
maticus, cyclotiS) etc., Cope.]
ff Lateral line about 60.

2. C. plumbeus, (Ag.) Gthr. LEAD -COLORED CHUB.
Depth = length of head, 4 to 5 in body; mouth small;
dusky; size large; D. I, 8; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 60. L.
Superior. (C. prosthemius, Cope.)

** Mouth small, inferior — upper jaw notably longest; barbels
rather long; small, silvery species, resembling Hybopsis.
(Erijiemus, Jordan.)
\ Lateral line 30 to 42.

3. C. hyalinus, Cope. BIG -EYED MINNOW. Oliva-
ceous or bluish, sides clear silvery; eyes very large, 3 in
head; depth 5 in length; head rather large, 4; D. I, 9;
A. I, 8; lat. 1. 40; L. 3. Ohio Valley, abundant; the
smallest species, resembling Photogenis arriommus, but
with a very different mouth.

Var. labrosus, (Cope) Jordan. LARGE- LIPPED MIN-
NOW. Similar, but with the scales larger, the body
slimmer, and the barbels and lips more developed; D. I,
8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 34. Rivers of N. C. and Tenn.

\\ Lateral line 45 to 50 ; long, slender species, with the snout
projecting.

4. C. dissimilis, (Kirt.) Cope. SPOTTED SHINER. Pale
olivaceous, sides bright silvery, with a bluish lateral
band, widened at intervals into spots; fins immaculate;
depth 5 in length; head 4; eye large, 3£ in head; D. I, 8;
A. I, 7; lat. 1. 47 to 50; L. 6. Ohio Valley and Lake
region, not uncommon.

280 FISHES.

5. C. monachus, Cope. SOLITARY CHUB. Similar, a
black spot on last rays of dorsal; a dark caudal spot;
eye small, 4 in head; lat. 1. 56. Holston R.

\\\ Lateral line about 70.

6. C. cataract®, (Val.) Cope. NIAGARA GUDGEON.
Slender, depth 6 in length; head 4; D. I, 8; A. I, 8;
lat. 1. 70. Niagara Falls.

9. RHINICHTHYS, Agassiz. LONG-NOSED DACE.

= Argyreus, Haeckel (preoccupied).

* Snout projecting considerably beyond the mouth ; body slender,
depth usua.ly 5 to 6 in length; barbels evident.

1. R. nasutus, (Ayres) Ag. LONG-NOSED DACE.
Brownish, mottled, not banded; eye half the length of
the long snout; head 3|^ in length; D. I, 8; A. I, 7;
lat. 1. 63; L. 5. New England to Va. and Wis., in clear
brooks.

2. R. marmoratus, Ag. MARBLED DACE. Brown,
marbled; eye 2£ in snout; head 4-]- in length; lat. 1. 70.
Great Lakes.

** Snout scarcely projecting; body stout; depth 4 to 5 in length;

barbels scarcely visible,
f A distinct dark band from snout to caudal (reel in spring.)

3. R. atronasus, (Mitch.) Ag. BLACK- NOSED DACE.
Dusky, belly silvery; lateral band bright crimson in
spring, becoming orange in summer, black at other
times; fins often rosy in spring; depth 4f in length;
head 3f ; D. I, 8; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 65. New England to
Ohio Valley, in clear brooks; abundant Eastward.

4. R. obtusus, Ag. BROWN- NOSED DACE. Similar;
sides with a brown band, edged above and below with
paler; head 4 or more in length; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1.
63 to 70. Western streams.

CYPRINID^E. — CVIII. 231

•ft Sides without band, or with merely a dusky shade.

5. R. lunatus, Cope. FORK-TAILED DACE. Reddish
brown, with dusky spots; depth 4^ in length; head 4;
lat. 1. GO. Western streams.

10. PHENACOBIUS, Cope. PHENACOBIES.

1. P. teretu/us, Cope. Head— depth, 4£ in length;
lips plicate; a dusky lateral band; D. I, 8; A. I, 7;
lat. 1. 43. Streams of W. Va.

2. P. uranops, Cope. Head 4f in length; depth 6^;
lips tuberculate: lat. 1. 60. Holston R.

//. HYBOPSIS, Agassiz. BLUNT-FACED MINNOWS.

* Mouth inferior, horizontal, small.

f Head 5i to 6 times in total length, including caudal fin. (Hud-
sonius, Grd.)

1. H. storerianus, (Kirt.) Ag. STOKER'S MINNOW.
Silvery, scales with black dots, forming a dark lateral
stripe; snout blunt, about as long as eye; depth 5^ in
length; D. I, 9; A. I, 9; lat. 1. 41. Great Lake region,
etc.

2. H. hudsonius, (Clinton) Putnam. SPAWN -EATER.
Silvery, often with dark shades; snout much shorter
than eye; depth 4 in length; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 38.
Lakes and rivers; abundant eastward. (Huds. flumatilis
and amarus, Grd. H. phaenna, Cope.)

ff Head 4i tp 5 in length, inclusive of caudal fin. (Hybopsis.)
% Pectoral fins short, not reaching ventrals.
a. Lateral line 43 to 45.

3. H. tuditanus, Cope. Form and coloration of JFTybor-
hynchus notatus, but said to want the dorsal spine; head
broad and blunt. L. Michigan; "a doubtful species,"
as are several others in this genus.

aa. Lat. 1. 36 or 37.

282 FISHES.

4. H. spectrunculus, Cope. Eye large; head broad
and flat; a plumbeous lateral band and black caudal
spot; fins reddish; A. I, 9. Holston R.

5. H. stramineus, Cope. Silvery; head more rounded;
body plump; scales in front of dorsal 12 to 14, quite
large. Mich, to Ind., abundant.

aaa. Lat. 1. 32 or 33.

6. H. procne, Cope. Very similar, but the caudal
peduncle contracted and slender, scales large; a plumb-
eous band over black pigment. D. I, 8; A. I, 7. Penn.,
etc., common E.

$. Pectorals elongated, nearly or quite reaching ventrals.

7. H. microstomus, (Raf.) Jordan. LONG-HEADED
MINNOW. Head elongated; a silvery band along sides
and a series of black dots along lateral line; depth 5 in
length; caudal peduncle not abruptly contracted; pec-
torals long, about reaching ventrals; D. I, 8; A. I, 7;
lat. 1. 33. Va. to Ky. [J?. gracilis, Ag. (type of genus.)
If. longiceps, Cope.]

8. H. volucellus, Cope. Elongated ; head long ; a
dusky lateral band; D. I, 8; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 34. Detroit
R., (same as preceding?)

** Mouth larger, oblique, the lower jaw about as long as upper.

(Alburnops, Grcl.)
b. Lateral line 35 or 36, a dark lateral band.

9. H. chalybceus, Cope. PIGMY MINNOW. Muzzle
flat; head 4 in length; caudal peduncle abruptly slender,
lateral band very distinct, shining black; A. I, 8. Penn.,
N. J.; one of the smallest of the Cyprinidm; length 1-|-
inches; (resembles Hemitremia bifrenata.')

10. H. fretensis, Cope. Silvery, a plumbeous lateral
band; A. I, 8. Detroit R.; resembles a Minnilus.

W. Lateral line 38 to 39.

CYPRINLLXE. — CVIII. 283

11. H. fl/umbeo/uSf Cope. LEAD -COLORED MINNOW.
Uniform leaden silvery; body compressed; lower jaw
projecting; A. I, 9. Great Lakes.

12. H. regius, (Girard) Cope. SILVERY MINNOW.
Much elongated, compressed; uniform silvery; D. I, 10;
A. I, 9; lat. 1. 38. Potomac R.

13. H. rubricroceus, Cope. RED -BANDED MINNOW.
A red lateral band and red touches on head; belly yel-
low; A. I, 9; lat. 1. 38. Upper Tennessee; a brightly
colored species.

bbb. Lateral line 42 to 45 ; colors dull.

14. H. hcematurus, Cope. RED -TAILED MINNOW. A
black spot on dorsal and at base of caudal; dusky; tail
brick-red; A. I, 7. Tributaries of Lake Michigan.

12. HEMITREMIA, Cope. HEMITREMES.

1. H. vittata, Cope. SOUTHERN HEMITREMIA. Dusky;
a black lateral band, and above this several paler and
smaller ones, the upper running into the dorsal line; fins
small; depth 4 in length; head 4^; D. I, 8; A. I, 7;
lat. 1. 34; L. 2. Head waters of Tennessee and Cumber-
land Rivers. (Description from Kentucky specimens.)

2. H. heierodon, Cope. NORTHERN HEMITREMIA.
Head — depth, about 4 in length; snout flat, rather
pointed; back compressed, elevated ; olive, a dusky
lateral shade; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 35. Mich., Wis.

3. H. bifrenata, Cope. EASTERN HEMITREMIA. Head

= depth, 4-J- in length; snout blunt; olive, a burnished,
jet-black lateral band of a deeper color than in any
other small minnow; D. I, 8"; A. I, 7; lat. 1. 36. Mass.
to Md., abundant.

284 FISHES.

13. £///?0S0Aft/$, Rafinesque. RED - BELLIED MINNOWS.

1. C. pyrrhogaster, Jordan. CHKOSOMUS. RED-BELLIED
DACE. Brownish olive, with black spots on the back, a
black or brown band from above the eye, straight to the
tail; another below, running through eye, decurved along
the lateral line; belly and space between bands bright
silvery, brilliant scarlet red in spring males, as are the
bases of the vertical fins; a dark vertebral line; females
obscurely marked; D. 1,8; A. 1,9; lat.l. 80 to 90. Penn.
to Wis. and S., abundant in small streams; one of the
most beautiful of our fishes. [C. erythrog aster ^ (Kirt.)
Ag., not of Raf.]

2. C. erythrog aster, Raf. KENTUCKY RED -BELLY.
Similar but even more brilliant; a dark band through
eye to base of anal; another from the middle of the
body to caudal; above this, back with distinct cross-bars
and spots; belly silvery or crimson; fins orange and
yellow; lat. 1. 67. Ky. to Va. and N. C. (C. oreas,
Cope.)

3. C. eos, Cope. Lateral bands confluent on caudal
peduncle; teeth 5-5; lat.l. 75. Susquehanna R.

14. PHOXINUS, Rafinesque (1820!). EUROPEAN MIN-

NOWS.

1. P. neogceus, Cope. NEW WORLD MINNOW. Black-
ish above, a broad black lateral band through eye,
becoming a spot on the tail; belly white; fins dusky;
head large, 3^ in length; depth rather less; mouth large,
oblique; eye large; D. I, 7; A. I, 7; L. 3. Southern Mich.
(Cope)] Baraboo R., Wis. (Eundy]\ a curious fish, related
to the Minnow of Europe (P. Icevis, Ag.)

CYPBINID^J. — CVIII. 285

15. GILAf Baird and Girard. LEATHER- SIDED MINNOWS.

* Scales very small; mouth large, very oblique, the lower jaw
projecting. (Clinostomus, Grd.)

1. G. elongata, (Kirt.) Jordan. RED- SIDED MINNOW.
Dark bluish, mottled by paler scales; sides with a broad
black band, the front half of which is bright crimson in
the spring; a dark dorsal stripe; mouth very large, the
lower jaw narrowed and projecting farther than in any
other of our Dace; a little knob at the tip which over-
laps the end of the upper jaw; body much elongated,
but little compressed; depth 5 in length; head 4£; eye
moderate, about 3£ in head; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 65
to 70; L. 4. Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, etc.; a hand-
some species. (C. proriger, Cope.)

2. G. vandoisula, (Val.) Jordan. ROSY DACE. A light
and a dark lateral band; snout pointed; mandible shorter
than in the preceding; eye larger; depth 5 in length;
head 4; D. I, 9; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 48. Streams about
Chesapeake Bay and S. (C. funduloides, Grd.)

3. G. affinis, (Grd.) Cope. Body deeper, depth =
length of head, 3| in body; eye rather small; D. I, 9;
A. I, 8; lat. 1. 46. James R. (C. carolinus, Grd.)

4. G. margarita, Cope. No lateral band; snout obtuse;
depth 5 in length; head 4; lat. 1. 58. Penn.

16. LYTHRURUS, Jordan. RED- FINS.
< Hypsilepis, Cope.

1. L. diplcemius, (Raf.) Jordan. RED-Fttf. Bright
steel blue, with purplish shades, silvery below; a large
black spot on the anterior rays of dorsal in front; fins
otherwise unicolor, plain olivaceous in $, brilliant brick
red in spring males; scales with more or less dark edg-
ing; nuptial tubercles minute, very numerous, whitish,

286 FISHES.

chiefly on the upper surface of head; body much com-
pressed; back elevated; head deep, rather obtuse; depth
3| in length; D. I, 9* A. I, 10; lat. 1. 44; L. 3. West-
ern streams, generally abundant; an exceedingly bril-
liant fish in the breeding season; known at all times by
the dorsal spot and compressed body, with large fins and
long caudal peduncle. (.Rutilus miber, Raf.) (Not Leu-
ciscus diplemius, Kirt.)

2. L ardens, (Cope) Jordan. SOUTHERN RED- FIN.
Colors similar, but red on sides more conspicuous; head
rather pointed, with the mouth still more oblique; depth
5 in length; D. I, 9; A. I, 11; lat. 1. 50. Cumberland
and Roanoke Rivers and S.

17. LUXILUS, Rafinesque. SHINERS.
= Hypsilepis, Baird.

* Fins and lower parts with rose-red pigment in spring and sum-
mer ; no distinct black dorsal spot ; eye large ; mouth large,
oblique, the lower jaw about as long as upper in closed
mouth ; species of large size ; " Red Fins."

1. L.' cornutus, (Mitch.) Jordan. COMMON SHINER.
RED - FINNED SHINER. ROUGH"- HEAD. RED - FIN.
Adult deep steel blue or olivaceous above, with golden
vertebral and lateral bands, very conspicuous in life ;
sides silvery, rosy inhales in spring; fins plain oliva-
ceous or somewhat dusky, becoming crimson in spring;
young olivaceous and silvery, not closely resembling the
adult; depth 3 to 5 in length, greater than length of
head in adults; head large; mouth moderately oblique,
the lower jaw not projecting; lateral line much decurved;
D. I, 8; A. I, 9; lat. 1. 40 to 45; L. 6. U. S. from Maine
to the Rocky Mountains, every where abundant, and
extremely variable. The adults may be known at once
by the high and narrow exposed surfaces of the scales;

CYPRINID^E. — CVIII. 287

the young often need close attention. (Plargyrus typi-
cits, Grd.; L. chrysocephalus, Raf.; L. diplemim and
plargyrus, Kirt.; Leuciscus frontalis, Ag., a stout variety
from the Great Lakes.)

2. L coccogenis, (Cope) Jordan. RED -CHEEKED
SHINER. Steel blue, sides silvery; dorsal, caudal, and
pectorals red in the male; adults of both sexes with the
upper jaw, base of dorsal, and a vertical streak down the
cheeks, bright orange red, the latter mark appearing like
a brand; dorsal and caudal with a broad dusky bar;
slimmer than cornutus; depth 4iJ- in length, about equal
to length of head; mouth very oblique, the lower jaw
projecting (excepting in tuberculate males); D. I, 7;
A. I, 9; lat. 1. 42. Head waters of the Tennessee R.,
abundant; a beautiful and very distinct species.

18. PLARGYRUS, Rafinesque. SILVER FINS.

< Rutilus, Raf. (= Leuciscus, Klein, European.)

< Hypsilepis, Cope.

* Fins and lower parts with milk-white pigment in spring, never
red ; dorsal with a large black spot on the last rays, about
half way up (an important feature); upper jaw projecting in
closed mouth ; eye rather small ; species of rather small size ;
" Silver-Fins."

1. P. galacturus, (Cope) Jordan. MILKY -TAILED
SHINER. SLENDER SILVER - FIN. Bluish above, sides
bright silvery, with bright reflections; head 4^ in length;
depth 4f ; mouth large, nearly horizontal; body slender,
more elongated and less compressed than in the next;
scales smooth and firm, usually with dusky edges; D. I,
8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 40; L. 5. Ohio Valley and S.,
abundant. Resembles the next, but larger, and with a
larger mouth.

288 FISHES.

2. P. spir//ngu/us,(Val.) Jordan. SILVER-FIX. Leaden
silvery; fins satin white in the breeding season; dorsal
with a conspicuous black spot, as in the preceding; head
4 in length, rather short and deep; mouth rather small,
very oblique, yet the lower jaw received within the upper
in the closed mouth; body much compressed; depth 3f in
length; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 35 to 40; L. 3J. Cayuga
L., N. Y. (S. H. Gage), to N. J., Va., and Ind., abundant.
In full breeding dress one of the most exquisite of all
our fishes. (Leuciscus spirlingulus, Val. L. kentucki-
ensis, Kirt., not of Raf. llutilus plargyrus, Raf.
Cyprinella analostana, Grd.)

. PHOTOGENIS, Cope. WHITE-CHEEKED SHINERS.
* Anal I, 10 or I, 9 ; no black caudal spot.

1. P. /eucops, Cope. WHITE - CHEEKED SHINER.
Dorsal fin much nearer caudal than end of snout; mouth
very oblique; rfvaceous above, sides silvery; scales
large; eye white, 3 in head; head 4 to 4|- in length;
depth less; D. I, 8; A. 1,10; lat 1. 35 to 40. Ohio
Valley; a handsome fish resembling a Minnilus.

2. P. arriommus, Cope. BIG-EYED SHINER. General
appearance of preceding, but larger, reaching a length
of nearly 5 inches; eye very large, 2^- in head, relatively
larger than in any other of our Minnows; head large;
bluish above, sides bright silvery; D. I, 8; A. I, 9; lat.
1. 40. White R., Indiana, abundant, but not yet recog-
nized elsewhere.

3. P. te/escopus, Cope. WHITE SHINER. Dorsal fin
equidistant; sea-green, silvery below; D. I, 8; A. I, 10;
lat. 1. 38. Holston R.

** Anal I, 8 ; a black spot at base of caudal.

CYPEIKID^E. — CVIII. 289

4. P. leuciodus, Cope. WHITE SHINER. Olive, sides
silvery with purple reflections; snout and base of dorsal
red; lat. 1. 40. Holston R.

*** Anal I, 8 ; no caudal spot.

5. P. scabriceps, Cope. ROUGH -HEADED SHINER.
Head broad, minutely rough ; eye large, 3 in head; head
flattish above; mouth little oblique; greenish, sides
leaden silvery; D. I, 8; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 38. Ohio Valley.

6. .P. spilopterus, Cope. SPOTTED - FINNED SHINER.
Head narrower; eye smaller; olive, a plumbeous lateral
band; black spot on dorsal behind; D. I, 8; A. I, 8;
lat. 1. 38. St. Joseph's R., Mich. This and some of the
ot^er species of this genus need confirmation.

20. MINNILUS, Rafinesque. ROSY -FACED MINNOWS.

= AlburnelluS) Girard.

1. M. rubrifrons, (Cope) Jordan. ROSY -FACED MIN-
NOW. Olive above, with a clear green lustre ; sides sil-
very; a dark vertebral line; forehead, opercular region,
base of dorsal, etc.,- flushed with red in spring; upper
surface of head minutely tuberculate in males at that
season; head rather pointed, about 3^ in length; depth
4£; eye about 4 in head; D. I, 8; A. I, 10; lat. 1. 38;
L. 3 or less. Ohio Valley, abundant ; an elegant little
fish, well distinguished from M. rubellus by the smaller
size, deeper body and much longer head, as well as by
peculiarities of form.

Var. amcenus, (Abbott) Jordan. ABBOTT'S ROSY MIN-
NOW. Eye larger; head rather shorter. Delaware R.

2. M. dilectus, (Grd.) Jordan. DELECTABLE MINNOW.
Intermediate between the preceding and the next;
smaller than rubellus and more thick-set; head = depth,

13

290 FISHES.

about 5 in length; eye longer than snout, 3 in head;
coloration of the others; D. I, 8; A. I, 11; lat. 1. 42; L.
3^. Ohio R. (New Albany, Dr. Sloan) to Arkansas R.
and S. (Type of Alburnellus.)

3. M. rubellus, (Ag.) Jordan. ROSY MINNOW. Light
olive, with brilliant clear green lustre; a dark vertebral
line, and dark edges to the dorsal scales; sides brilliantly
silvery, the lustre overlying a plumbeous lateral shade;
forehead, etc., rosy in spring ; sides sometimes rosy
tinted; golden dorsal and lateral stripes, conspicuous in
life as in most silvery species; head short, -somewhat
pointed, 5 in length; depth 5^ to 5^; eye 4 in head;
D. I, 8; A. 1, 10; lat. 1. 38; L. 4 to 5. Great Lakes and
Ohio Valley; abundant in the larger streams; even more
graceful in form and delicate in coloration than the pre-
ceding.

4. M. dinemus, Raf. EMEEALD MINNOW. Coloration
exactly as in M. rubellus, but the body very slender and
less compressed, more elongated than in any other of
our Cyprinidw, the depth being only from one-sixth to
one-seventh of the length; head 4f in length; eye 3^ in
head ; fins as in preceding; L. 4 to 5. L. Michigan and
Ohio Valley, in the larger streams, like the others, " going
in flocks." (A. jaculus and A. arge, Cope.) (This is
Rafinesque's " Emerald Minnow," the type of his genus
Minnilus. Rafinesque's generic name having nearly
forty years priority over Alburnellus^ must be substituted
for the latter appellation.)

5. M. micropteryx, (Cope) Jordan. SMALL -FINNED
MINNOW. Resembles M. rubrifrons^ but the fins all very
low, the ventrals scarcely reaching to the line of the
middle of dorsal; head 4£ in length; depth 5|- to 5f ;
lat. L. 39; L. 3. Clinch R.

291

21. NOTEMIGONUS, Rafinesque. GOLDEN SHINERS.

= Stilbe, DeKay (preoccupied in Botany.)

= StilbiuS) Gill (substitute for Stilbe.)

= Jjitxilus, Girard (not of Raf.)

= Leucosomus, Storer (not of Haeckel.)

= Plargyrus, Putnam (not of Raf.)

< AbramiS) Cuvier (a closely related European genus).

1. N. americanus, (L.) Jordan. SHINER. STILBE.
BREAM. Body much compressed; abdomen trenchant;
head small, about 4 in length ; depth 3 (2^ to 4) ; lateral
line much decurved; scales small on the back, much
larger below; dark steel blue or green above, sides
silvery or golden, every where with brilliant reflections,
green, yellow, and red; young specimens paler, looking
like young Luxili, but the adults are among the largest
in the family and bear a strong resemblance to Shad, a
circumstance which has misled many observers, and
among them Rafinesque; D. I, 7; A. I, 14; lat. 1. 45 to
50. New England to Minnesota and S.; abundant in
bayous, ponds, and weedy streams; this species is much
more tenacious of life than any other of our Qyprinoids.
\N. auratuS) Raf. /S. cJirysoleuca^ (Mitch.) DeK. A.
versicolor, DeK.]

21. CARASSIUS, Nilsson. CRUCIAN CARPS.

1. C. auratus, (L.) Bleeker. GOLD FISH. Orange or
blackish, rarely pale; D. I, 19; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 26; ex-
ceedingly variable in domestication Asia; common
every where in aquaria, and now naturalized in many of
our eastern streams.

22. CY PRIMUS, Linnams. CARPS.
1. C. carpio, L. EUROPEAN CARP. Olivaceous;

292 FISHES.

D. Ill, 20; A. Ill, 5; lat. 1. 37. European, introduced
into some eastern rivers.

FAMILY CIX.— CATOSTOMID^E.

(T7te Suckers.)

Cyprinoid fishes of medium or large size, with the
pharyngeal teeth in a single series, very numerous and
closely set; intermaxillaries forming but a small part of
the upper arch of the mouth, the maxillaries entering
into it extensively on each side; mouth toothless, with
fleshy lips, extremely protractile, roundish when fully
protruded; dorsal fin long; anal short and rather high;
no barbels; scales large; head naked; air bladder large,
divided into two or three parts by transverse constric-
tions. Genera ten, Pantosteus, Cope, and the following;
species about fifty, abounding everywhere east of the
Rocky Mountains ; two or three occur in China and
Japan, all the rest are North American.

* Dorsal moderate, of 11 to 20 rays ; size rarely large ; Suckers.

(CATOSTOMIN,E.)
f Air bladder in two parts.
\ Lateral line well developed ; lips papillose.
a. Scales much smaller anteriorly than posteriorly; inter-
orbital space convex ; body sub-terete. CATOSTOMUS, 1.
aa. Scales about as large on front part of body as on tail ;
body tapering rapidly from shoulders to tail ; inter-
orbital space concave; length of head greater than
depth of body ; young barred or variegated.

HYPENTELIUM, 2.

\\ No lateral line ; lips usually plicate. . ERIMYZON, 3.
ft Air bladder in three parts ; lips usually plicate ; lateral line

very distinct.

b. Pharyngeal teeth numerous and all small, of the usual type ;
the bones slender. • . . . MOXOSTOMA, 4.

CATOSTOMID^. — CIX. 293

bb. Teeth on the lower half of the pharyngeal bones reduced
to about a dozen, which are quite large; upper teeth
numerous and small ; bones stout and heavy.

PLACOPHARYNX, 5.
** Dorsal elongated, of 20 to 35 rays, more or less elevated in

front ; size usually large ; Buffalo fishes.

c. Body deep and heavy, usually considerably compressed;
general color olivaceous white or brown. (BUBALICB-

THYIN^E.)

d. Anterior dorsal rays very much elongated, reaching when
depressed at least to the middle of the fin ; back elevated ;
mouth small, inferior ; pharyngeal teeth minute, nearly
equal ........ CABPIODES, 6.

dd. Anterior dorsal rays moderately elevated, rarely reaching
the middle of the fin ; pharyngeal teeth becoming larger
downward ; eye small, operculum very large.
e. Mouth sub-terminal, protractile forwards. ICHTHYOBUS, 7 .
ee. Mouth inferior, protractile downwards.

BUBALICHTHYS, 8.

cc. Body very much elongated, not much compressed ; dorsal of
35 rays ; anal with 7 rays, placed very far back, the abdo-
men being therefore very long; general color black.
. . . . • . CYCLEPTUS, 9.

/. CATOSTOMUS, LeSueur. BROOK SUCKERS
> Acomus and Minomus, Grd.
= Decactylus, Raf.

1. C. teres, (Mit.) LeS. COMMON SUCKER. WHITE
SUCKER. Depth about equal to length of head, 4 to 4^-
in length ; olivaceous, sides silvery, with bright reflec-
tions; D. I, 13; A. 8 or 9; lat. 1. 63. U. S., abundant
everywhere E. of the Mississippi. (C. communis^ boston-
iensiS) etc., of authors.)

2. C. hudson/uSf LeS. NORTHERN SUCKER. LONG-
NOSED SUCKER, Very slender j depth less than length

294 FISHES.

of head; snout very much produced; scales very small;
D. 1, 12; A. 9; lat. 1. 105. L. Superior to Arctic regions.

2. HYPENTELIUM, Rafinesque. BIG STONE LUGGEKS.
= Hylomyzon^ Ag.

1. H. nigricans, (LeS.) Jordan. STONE ROLLER. MUD
SUCKER. Depth 4f in length; head 4; depth of head §
its length; eyes small, very high up and far back; lower
fins very large; pectoral nearly as long as head; brown-
ish; often beautifully marbled; D. 12; A. 8; lat. 1. 52.
Lakes and streams from N. Y., S. and W., abundant;
one of our most singular fishes. It frequents clear
streams and rapids, and it is not at all a " mud fish." as
some writers seem to suppose.

3. ERIMYZON, Jordan. CHUB SUCKERS.

= Moxostoma, Agassiz (not of Raf.)
* No stripes along the rows of scales.

1. E. oblong us, (Mit.) Jordan. CREEK FISH. CHUB
SUCKER. Head 4 to 4^- in length; depth 2£, in adult;
eye 5 in head; scales crowded, deeper than long; dusky
above, brassy on sides and below; very variable; young
much less compressed, with black bands or bars, and
pale lateral and vertebral streaks; spring males with six
tubercles on head; D. 12; A. 8; lat. 1. 40. New England
S. and W., abundant in Great Lakes.

** Each scale with a large, square black spot at its base, these
forming conspicuous stripes along the sides.

2. E. melanops, (Raf.) Jordan. STRIPED SUCKER.
Head 4f in length; depth about 4; scales very large;
blackish above; sides coppery, with black stripes; D. I,
13; A. I, 8; lat. 1. 47; size large. Great Lakes and

CATOSTOMIDJE. — CIX. 295

Ohio Valley, abundant; one of our handsomest suckers,
strangely overlooked by recent writers. This and the
preceding, unlike most of^ our suckers, are very hardy in
the Aquarium.

3. E. sucetta, (Lac.) Jordan. LACEPEDE'S SUCKER.
Head compressed and flat; lower lip very large; brown,
sides silvery, with brown stripes along the rows of scales;
D. I, 12; A. 9. Southern States.

4. MQXOSTOMA, Rafinesque. RED HORSES.
X Teretulus, Raf.
= PtychostomuS) Ag.

* Dorsal wi;h 13 to 15 developed rays ; body compressed,
f Lower fins reddish, becoming orange on death.

1. M. duquesnei, (LeS.) Jordan. COMMON RED HORSE.
WHITE MULLET. Head 4 to 4f in length; depth about
4^; eye large, 3^ to 4 in head; olive above, sides bright
silvery, with red and green reflections; lower fins pink,
becoming bright crimson; D. I, 13; A. 8; lat. 1. 42 to
47. Ohio Valley and Lake region, every where abundant.
[Pt. erytkrurus (Raf.) Cope.]

2. M. wreolum, (LeS.) Jordan. LAKE RED HORSE.
GOLDEN MULLET. Head quite small, about 5 in length;
mouth large, not much inferior; eye 5 in head; yellow-
ish biown, with bright reflections; lower fins decidedly
red; oack somewhat elevated; D. 1, 13; lat. 1. 49; large,
reacies a weight of 20 Ibs. Great Lakes, abundant.

3. M. anisurus, (Raf.) Jordan. CARP MULLET. Head
stout, less than 4 in length ; body short and thick, depth
3£; mouth with the lower lips decidedly V-shaped; eye
small, 4f in head; lower fins pale orange; D. I, 13 to
I, 15. North Carolina to Ind., and S. (P. collapsus^
Cope.)

296 FISHES.

ff Lower fins white, never orange.

4. M. macrolepidoium, (LeS.) Jordan. LARGE-SCALED
MULLET. Fusiform, compressed, depth 3^ in length;
head short, convex, 4-J in length; eye large, 4 in head;
color pale, with dusky and yellow shades; D. I, 13;
V. 9; lat. 1. 45. N. Y. to Ind., chiefly eastward.

** Dorsal with 16 to 18 developed rays ; body compressed.

5. M. carp/o, (Val.) Jordan. SILVEKY MULLET. Head
4J in length; depth 3^; eye 3^- in head; scales large,
silvery white; lips large; dorsal larger than in any other
species, dusky at tip ; olivaceous, sides silvery, lower fins
white; D. I, 8; V. 10; lat. 1. 43. Great Lakes, not
common. (Described from specimen from Fox R., Wis.)

6» M. velatum, (Cope) Jordan. Much like preceding,
but lips as in P. anisurus; head short; D. 16; V. 9;
lat. 1. 42. Ohio Valley.

*** Dorsal with 12 rays ; body nearly cylindrical.

7. M. cervinum, (Cope) Jordan. JUMPING MULLET.
Head 5 in length; flattish above; lips large; yellowish
with green reflections; size small; D. I, 12. "Va., N. C.,
etc.; said to resemble Hypentelium.

5. PLACOPHARYNX, Cope. PLACOPHARYNX.

•

1. P. carinatus, Cope. COPE'S SUCKER. Reserables
M. duquesnei, but the pharyngeal bones quite different;
eye 4-j- in head; head 4 in length; depth 3f ; head
strongly ridged above; pharyngeal bones very heavy,
the lower 7 to 12 teeth on each side very large, truncate,
irregularly placed; D. 14; A. 7; lat. 1. 41. Wabash R.;
probably not uncommon, but not distinguished until
quite lately.

CATOSTOMIDJ3. — CIX. 297

6. CARP/ODES, Rafinesque. CARP SUCKERS.

* First rays of dorsal very much elevated and attenuated, about as
long as the base of the fin.

1. C. velifer, (Raf.) Ag. SPEAR FISH. SAIL FISH.
QUILLBACK. SKIMBACK. Muzzle conic, much less obtuse
than in the next; depth 2^ in length; head 3f ; eye 4^
in head; color pale, scarcely silvery, as in all species;
D. 22; lat. 1. 37. Ohio R.

2. C. difformis, Cope. HIGH - BACKED CARP SUCKER.
Snout very blunt; eye 4^ in head; head 3f in length;
depth 2^; body short and high; dorsal fin strongly fal-
cate ; snout minutely tuberculate in spring as in some
other species; D. 26; A. 8; V. 9; lat. 1. 37. Western
streams (described from L. Erie specimens of "C.
cutisanserinus" Cope = C. selene, Cope.)

** Anterior dorsal rays scarcely filamentous, little more than half
the length of the base of the fin.

3. C. bison, Ag. BUFFALO CARP. Muzzle very long,
conic; eye large, 4^ in head; longest dorsal rays reach-
ing nearly to end of fin; D. 28; lat. 1. 40. Mississippi
Valley and W.

4. C. thompsoni, Ag. LAKE CARP. Short and stout;
scales narrowly exposed; eye small, 5J in head; depth
2|- in length; long rays of dorsal reaching 22d ray;
D. 28; lat. 1. 41. Great Lakes.

5. C. cypriniis, (LeS.) Ag. SILVERY CARP SUCKER.
Body oblong; dorsal as above; eye 5 in head; depth 3f
in length; head 3; D. 30; lat. 1. 40. Rivers, chiefly
eastward.

6. C. carpio, (Raf.) Jordan. OLIVE CARP SUCKER.
Elongated; head small; dorsal rays short; depth 3 in
length; eye 4| in head; D. 30 or more; lat. 1. 36; the
largest species. Ohio Valley. (C. nummifer. Cope.)

298 FISHES.

7. ICHTHYOBUS, Rafinesque. BUFFALO FISHES.
< SclerognathuS) Val.

1. /. bubalus, (Raf.) Ag. BROWN BUFFALO FISH.
Depth 3J in length; head the same; eye small, 6^ in
head; depth of head five -sixths its length; opercle very
wide, forming nearly half the length of head — convex
and furrowed; scales very large; dull brownish olive,
not silvery; D. 27; A. 10; lat. 1. 40; length (of specimen)
27 inches; weight 15 fbs. Mississippi Valley (described
from specimen from Wabash R.)

8. BUBALICHTHYS, Agassiz. BUFFALO SUCKEKS.

1. B. niger, (Raf.) Agassiz. BUFFALO FISH. Depth
= length of head, 3f in body; eye 4 to 6 in head; nape
prominent, convex; length of opercle half its height;
D. 30 to 35; A. 8. Mississippi Valley; known from the
preceding by its more arched back, inferior mouth and
probably greater size. Several other species of Ichthy-
obus and Bubalichthys have been mentioned but not
recognizably described.

9. CYCLEPTUS, Rafinesque. SUCKERELS.
= RJiytidostomus, Ekeckel.

1. C. elongatus, (LeSueur) Ag. BLACK HORSE.
GOURD -SEED SUCKER. LONG BUFFALO. MISSOURI
SUCKER. Body fusiform, not greatly compressed ;
mouth very small; depth 4 to 5 in length; lobes of
dorsal and caudal much attenuated; jet black above,
sides black with a coppery lustre; snout minutely
tuberculate in spring; D. 35; length 2 to 3 feet; weight
2 to 15 ibs. Mississippi Valley, in large streams. A
singular species, quite unlike any other.

299

OEDEE AA. — NEMATOGUATHL

(The Sheat Fishes.}

Skin naked or with bony plates; no true scales; bar-
bels always present, maxillary bone rudimentary and
forming the base of the longest barbel; margin of upper
jaw formed by intermaxillariesonly; sub-opercle absent;
air bladder generally present; usually an adipose fin,
and in all our species a spine in the dorsal and pectorals;
ventrals abdominal. Chiefly fresh water fishes, apparently
related to the Sturgeons. The leading family is Siluridce.

FAMILY CX.— SILURID^E.

(The Cat Fishes.)

General characters as "above given, — ours all have the
air bladder well developed, the skin naked, and the
dorsal and pectoral spines more or less developed and
often serrated behind; the fresh water species have
always eight barbels. Genera one hundred or more;
species nearly seven hundred; a very large family
abounding in the fresh waters of America and the
warmer parts of the Old World; a few are marine.
Our species, though very numerous, are closely related.
* Eyes well developed.
f Adipose fin free from caudal.

$ Dorsal spine well developed ; branchiostegals less than 12.

a. Supra-occipital bone connected behind with the base of

the dorsal spine ; body slender, elongated ; head rela-

tively small ; tail strongly forked. . ICTALUKUS, 1.

aa. Supra-occipital bone free behind; body short and thick;

head very large, depressed ; caudal rounded (forked in

two or three species.) . . . AMIURUS, 2.

ft Dorsal spine rudimentary ; branchiostegals 12 ; body elon-

gated; lower jaw longest. . . HOPLADELUS, 3.

300 FISHES.

ft Adipose fin long, keel-like, continuous with the rounded
caudal ; spines well developed. . . NOTDRUS, 4.
** Eyes concealed beneath the skin ; blind cave fishes.

GRONIAS, 5.

/. ICTALURUS, Rafinesque. CHANNEL CATS.
= SynechoglaniS) Gill.

1. /. punctatuSf (Raf.) Jordan. CHANNEL CAT. BLUE
\{_ CAT. WHITE CAT. Depth 5 in length; head 4£, longer

than broad; upper jaw longest; clear olivaceous, silvery
below and on sides; young punctate with black; barbel
longer than head; D. I, 6; A. 26; P. I, 8. Mississippi
Valley, abundant. [I. ccerulescens, (Raf.) Gill.]

2. I. nigricans, (LeS.) Jordan. GREAT LAKE CAT
FISH. Olive brown, sides ashy with large faint black
blotches; back nearly black; D. I, 6; P. I, 9; A. 26;
length 2 to 4 feet. Great Lakes, abundant; reaches a
large size. (This species proves to be an Amiurus;
see Addenda.)

3. I. furcatus, (LeS.) Gill. GREAT FORK-TAILED CAT.
Olivaceous, silvery; back blackish; maxillary barbel
shorter than head; D. I, 7; P. I, 10; A. 33; very large.
Mississippi Valley.

4. /. furcifer, (C. & V.) Gill. FORK -TAILED CAT.
Olivaceous; barbels longer than head; D. I, 6; P. I, 9;
A. 27. Mississippi Valley; a doubtful species.

5. /. gracilis, (Hough) Gill. NORTHERN SILVERY CAT.
D. I, 5; A. 23; barbels as long as head. N. N. Y.

2. AMIURUS, Rafinesque. HORNED POUTS.

< Pimelodus, early authors.
* Caudal fin deeply forked.

1. A. lynx, (Girard) Gill. POTOMAC CAT. Width of
head 4^- in length; eye large, 3 to 5 in interorbital space;

. — ex. 301

barbels long; black above, sides silvery, belly pure
white; D. I, 6; A. 22; V. 8. Rivers of Atlantic Coast,
N. J. to S. C.

2. A. lophlus, Cope. BIG-MOUTHED CAT. Width of
head 3£ in length of body; head and mou-th excessively
large; brown, whitish below; D. I, 6; A. 21; V. 8.
Potomac R., etc.

** Caudal fin deeply emarginate, but not forked.

3. A. confinis, (Girard) Gill. WISCONSIN BULL-HEAD.
Dorsal nearer adipose fin than snout; jaws equal; D. I,
6; A. 20. Root R., Wis.

4. A. hoy/, (Grd.) Gill. HOY'S BULL-HEAD. Dorsal
nearer snout than adipose fin; upper jaw longest; D. T
7; A. 23. Racine, Wis. (Same as preceding?)

*** Caudal rounded or truncate when spread open (rarely very
slightly emarginate.)

f Anal with 17 rays; upper jaw longest.

5. A. pullus, (DeK.) Gill. BLACK BULL -HEAD OF
N. Y. Blackish above; pale beneath; size small; head
deep, 3± in length; depth same; D. I, 5; P. I, 7; A. 17.
Lakes of New York and eastward, abundant.

ff Anal with 19 to 22 rays.
$ Jaws about even, or upper jaw projecting.

6. A. atrarius, (DeK.) Gill. NORTHERN BULL-HEAD.
HORNED POUT. Head 4 in length; depth 4j-; width of
head 5^ to 6; barbels long; slope nearly uniform up-
ward from snout to the elevated base of dorsal, a
character not shown by any other species known to me;
blackish above, sides coppery, belly white, yellowish
forwards; size small; D. I, 6; P. I, 8; A. 20. New
England to Maryland and the Great Lakes, abundant;
the common eastern species.

302 FISHES.

7. A. albidus, (LeS.) Gill. BROWN CAT FISH. WEST-
ERN BULL - HEAD. Depth 3^ to 4f in length ; head 3| to
4J, its width 5; barbels moderate; eye 7 in head; head
wider than in the preceding; an uneven curve from snout
to base of dorsal which is not especially elevated;
yellowish brown or blackish above, sides coppery yellow,
belly usually decidedly yellow but variable, rarely
blackish and pale; caudal truncate; D. I, 7; P. I, 8;
A. 19 to 22. Lakes and streams, abundant; N. Y. to
Minn., Kansas, and S.; chiefly west of the Alleganies.
[A. nebulosus (LeS.), A. catulus (Grd.), A. xanthocepha-
lus (Raf.), etc.] Perhaps two or more species are here
confounded.

\\ Lower jaw longer than upper.

8. A. dekayi, (Girard) Gill. DEKAY'S BULL -HEAD.
Form nearly of A. atrarius ; head and body rather elon-
gated; A. 20, its base one - sixth of length of fish. Lakes,
etc., in N. Y. A doubtful species. ["7>. catus," DeK.,
fide Girard. A. catus (L.), Gill, is a Southern species.]

9. A. o&lurus, (Girard) Gill. MINNESOTA CAT FISH.
Head broad, 3J in length; body rather short; reddish,
pale below; D. I, 6; A. 22; its base more than \ of
length. L. Amelia, Minn, to Ills. (Forbes) and S.

ff f Anal with 24 to 28 rays ; size usually large.

10. A. cupreus, (Raf.) Gill. GREAT YELLOW CAT FISH.
Upper jaw longest; head very large; body stout; barbel
rather short, but usually as long as head; color usually
a clear copper yellow, belly yellow; reaches a very
large size, probably the largest in the genus; D. I, 6;
P. I, 7; A. 25. Lakes and larger Western streams,
abundant.

11. A. lividus, (Raf.) Jordan. LIVID CAT FISH. Jaws

SILTJEID^E.— CX. 303

equal; color dark; size small; otherwise like the pre-
ceding. Ohio to Ills, (needs confirmation.) [A. cupre-
oides, (Grd.) Gill.]

12. A. ccenosus, (Rich.) Gill. LAKE HURON CAT FISH.
Dark greenish, paler below; spines strongly serrated;
D. I, 7; P. I, 8; A, 24. Lake Huron. A doubtful
species.

3. HOPLADELUS, Rafinesque. MUD CATS.

1. H. olivaris, (Raf.) Gill. MUD CAT FISH. Body
elongated, long and low; lower jaw longest; head de-
pressed, thick-skinned; caudal emarginate ; olive brown,
paler below; size very large; D. I-, 6; P. I, 30; A. 15
(or more?). Mississippi Valley. (Other species probably
exist, but they have never been studied.)

4. NOTURUS, Rafinesque. STONE CATS.

1. N. flavus, Raf. OHIO STONE CAT. Head 3 to 4
in length; dorsal longer than high; barbels rather short;
color nearly uniform yellowish brown; body thick and
short; D. I, 7; P. I, 7; A. 16. Ohio Valley; abundant
and very variable.

2. N. /emn/scatuSf (LeS.) Gill. SOUTHERN STONE CAT.
Head broad, 4£ in length; spines short; D. I, 7; P. 1, 10;
A. 21. Rivers S. & W.

3. N. marg/natus, Baird. MARGINED STONE CAT.
Head 4 in length; dorsal higher than long; barbels rather
long; brownish or blackish, much mottled and barred;
fins black -edged; head smaller than in JV". flavus, and
the body more elongate; D. I, 7; A. 14; P. I, 7. Penn.
to S. C. and W.

4. N. gyrinus, (Mit.) Raf. NORTHERN STONE CAT.
Head elongate, flat, 3^ in length; barbels, long; brown-

304 FISHES.

ish, fins yellow-edged; D. I, 6; P. I, 6; A. 16. Walkill
R., N. Y., etc. (The species of this genus need a critical
revision.)

5. GRONIAS, Cope. BLIND CATS.
1. G. nigrilabris, Cope. BLIND CAT FISH. Form of
Amiurus; blackish; D. I, 7; P. I, 9. Subterranean
stream tributary to Conestoga R., E. Penn.

OEDEE BB. - APODES.

(The Eels.)

Maxmary Dones rudimentary; body serpentiform ; no
ventral fins; scapular arch free from skull; scales small
or wanting.

FAMILY CXI. — ANGUILLIDJE.

(The Eels.)

Body much elongated, nearly cylindrical, covered with
small scales; vent posterior; pectorals present; vertical
fins confluent; sides of upper jaw formed by the maxil-
laries; intermaxillaries more or less coalescent with the
vomer; stomach coecal. Genera two or three; "an in-
finite number of species have been described" (Gunther),
but the actual number cannot exceed forty. In seas and
sluggish fresh waters of all regions.

/. ANGUILLA, Thunberg. EELS.
1. A. rosfrata, (LeS.) DeK. COMMON AMERICAN EEL.
Distance between dorsal and anal shorter than head. U.
S., chiefly coastwise, but ascending all rivers and intro-
duced into the Great Lakes. But one species is recog-
nizable. (A. bostoniensis. Authors, but the name rostrata
has priority.

AMIID^E. — CXII. 305

ffianoiireu

The Ganoid Fishes.

Skeleton bony or cartilaginous; tail more or less
heterocercal; optic nerves forming a chiasma; arterial
bulb rhythmically contractile, provided with several rows
of valves; air bladder frequently cellular and lung-like;
skin usually with bony plates; intestine usually with a
spiral valve; ventral fins, if present, abdominal. Of this
important sub-class but few species are now existing, and
these few vary widely from one another. Of the earlier
fossil fishes, a very large proportion are Ganoids.

OEDEK OO.-CYOLOGAJSrOIDEL

(The Cydoganoids.)

This order contains but a single species among recent
fishes.

FAMILY CXIL — AMIID^E.

(The Bow -Fins.)

Body oblong, rather stout, covered with thick cycloid
scales; tail heterocercal, the caudal peduncle curved
upwards behind, "like a sled -runner;" a large bony
buckler between branches of lower jaw; membrane
bones of head much developed, very hard; jaws broad
with strong teeth in two sets, similar teeth on vomer,
palate and pterygoids; snout short, rounded; ventrals
large, abdominal; dorsal very long, the rays of nearly
30

306 FISHES.

uniform height; anal short and rattier high; air bladder
large, cellular, lung -like, communicating by a glottis
with the oesophagus; stomach large.

A single species is found in the larger bodies of fresh
water in the U. S. from N. Y. to the plains. It is
exceedingly tenacious of life, even more so than the
species of Amiurus. The flesh is soft and pasty, and
not edible. In some regions its voracity has acquired
for it the name of " Lawyer," because, as has been said,
" it will bite at any thing, and is good for nothing when
caught."

/. AMIA, Linnagus. BOWFINS.

1. A. calva, L. BOWFIN. DOG FISH. MUD FISH.
Depth 4 to 4|- in length; head nearly 4; eye .8 in head;
anterior nostrils each with a short barbel; dark olive or
blackish above, nearly white below; sides with traces
of greenish markings; lower jaw and gular plate with
round blackish spots; fins mostly dark; $ reaching a
length of 18 inches, with a roundish black spot on the
upper base of caudal, which is surrounded by an orange
or* yellowish shade ; $ larger, 2 feet or more in length,
without the black caudal spot; D. 42 to 53; A. 10 to 13;
lat. 1. 65 to 70. E. U. S. ; abundant in the Great Lakes.
(A. ornata,, reticulata, and viridis, LeS. A. marmorata,
canina, lentiginosa, cinerea^ and subccerulea, Val. A.
ocelUcauda^ Rich. A. occidentalis, DeK. A. thompsoni
and piquotii, Dumeril.)

ORDER DD.-RHOMBOGANOIDEL

(The Rhorriboganoids.)

This order includes, among recent fishes, only the
following family:

LBPIDOSTEED^B. — CXITL 307

FAMILY CXIIL— LEPIDOSTEID^E.

(The Gar Pikes.)

Body elongated, sub - cylindrical, covered with hard,
enamelled, lozenge - shaped, ganoid plates; snout elon-
gated, spatulate, or beak -like; upper jaw of several
pieces, longer than the lower, which is formed of as
many parts as in Reptiles; both jaws and palate armed
with bands of rasp -like teeth, and series of larger,
conical ones; fins with fulcra (elongated modified scales)
in front; dorsal and anal short and placed far back,
moderately high; vertebrae concavo-convex, with ball
and socket joints as in Reptiles; air bladder cellular,
like the lungs of Reptiles, connected with the pharynx;
stomach not ccecal but with numerous pyloric append-
ages ; intestine with rudimentary spiral valve ; no spir-
acles; branchiostegals three; pseudobranchise present.
Fresh waters of N. A., from New England to the Rocky
Mountains, S. to Central America and Cuba. Genera
two or three (Cylindrosteus seems to us to be rather a'
sub-genus of Lepidosteus]\ species probably about five
although forty have been described; until some more
tangible distinctions are shown, we can admit but one
in each genus.*

* In a recent work on these fishes, Prof. August Dumeril very laboriously
distinguishes the following "species" among the specimens of Lepidosteus in
the Museum at Paris:

L. osseus, (L.) (= L. gavialis, Lac.); L. louisianensis, Dum. (= L. oxyurus,
Raf. = Sarchirus vititatus, Raf.); L. harlani, L. ayresi, I/, smithii, L. copei, L.
lamarii, L. clintonii, L. troostii, L. piquotianus, L. lesueurii, L. elizabeth, L.
thompsoni, L. horatii, L. milberti, L. treculii, Dumeril; and!/, huronensis. Rich.
Of Cylindrosteus, he finds C. platystomus (Raf.); C. productus (Cope); C. pla-
tyrhynchus (DeK.); C. agassizii, C, raflnesquei, C. bartoni, C. castelnaudii and
C. zadocM, Dum.

Most of these nominal species are based upon the most trifling individual
differences, and often the right side of a specimen indicates one " species," and
the left another. As matters stand, we have no alternative but to reject them
all, and to wait for the time when systematic writers shall be wiser or more
honest,

308 FISHES.

* Large teeth on the maxillaries in a single row ; species of

moderate size, 2 to 5 feet long.
f Snout very slender, straight, much longer than the rest of the

head LEPIDOSTEUS, 1.

ft Snout shortened, rather broad, about as long as rest of head.

CYLINDROSTEUS, 2

** Large teeth on the maxillaries in two rows ; snout broad, de-
pressed, about equal to rest of head ; size large, length 5 to
10 feet , . . * LITHOLEPIS, 3.

/. LEPIDOSTEUS, Lacepede. LONG-NOSED GARS.
> Sarchirus, Raf. (Young with the pectoral fins fleshy.)

1. L osseus, (L.) Ag. GAR PIKE. BONY GAR. BILL
FISH. Head nearly 3 in length; depth nearly 1U; snout
more than twice the length of rest of head; eye nearly
2i in distance to margin of preopercle, more than 2 in
interorbital space; ventrals midway between pectorals
and anal; length of mandible equals distance from pec-
torals to anal; olivaceous, white below; sides with obscure
spots, more evident posteriorly; vertical fins with distinct
round black spots; D. 7; A. 9; lat. line 64 to 66; length
2 to 5 feet. N. Y. to the plains and South, abundant in
large bodies of water.

2. CYL/NDROSTEUStR&fLnesquQ. SHORT - NOSED GABS.
< Lepidosteus, Agassiz.

JL. C. platysiomus, (Raf.) Grd. SHORT- NOSED GAR
PIKE. Depth 7 to 8 in length; head 3| ; eye 10 in head,
three times nearer opercular margin than end of snout;
ventrals much nearer P. than A. ; length of head notably
shorter than from P. to V.; olivaceous, sides and fins
spotted with black; D. 7; A. 8; lat. 1. 60 to 65. Great
Lakes and • streams S. and W. of N. Y. to Rocky Moun-
tains,

POLYODONTID^E.— CXIV. 309

3. LITHOLEPIS, Rafinesque. ALLIGATOR GABS.

= Atractosteus, Raf.

1. L. adamant/nus, Raf. GREAT GAR. ALLIGATOR GAR.
DIAMOND FISH. Snout broad, depressed, the length of
the cleft of the mouth being about half the length of the
head; color olivaceous; very large, reaching a length of
of 8 feet or more. Mississippi Valley, N. to Illinois and
Ohio, abundant southward. (A. ferox, Raf., but the
name here adopted has precedence. Perhaps some still
older specific name may be found.)

OEDEE EE.-SELAOHOSTOMI.

(The Spoon-Bills.)
This order contains but the single family Polyodontidce.

FAMILY CXIV. — POLYODONTID^E.

(The Spoon-Billed Cats.)

Body elongated; skin naked, with minute stellated
roughnesses, and some bony plates about head and tail;
mouth very wide, not inferior but overhung by the long
snout; minute teeth on lower jaw,maxillariesand palate,
teeth sometimes deciduous with age ; snout produced into
a very long and spatula-like process, thin and flexible at
its edges; no barbels; caudal with fulcra, as in Lepidos-
teus, heterocercal, the lower lobe well developed; opercle
with a long flap reaching to pectorals, or beyond and
sometimes to ventrals; spiracles present; no tongue; one
broad branchiostegal; air bladder large, communicating
with the oesophagus; intestine with a well developed
spiral valve; stomach ccecal, with a broad divided pyloric

310 FISHES.

appendage. Fresh waters of U. S. and China. Species
two; P. folium from the Mississippi, and P. gladius
from the Yangtsekiang.

/. POLYODON, Lacepede. DUCK-BILLED CATS.

= Spatularia, Shaw.

= Planirostra, LeSueur.

1. P. folium, Lacepede. DUCK - BILLED CAT. SPOON-
BILLED STURGEON. Snout nearly ^ of length ; opercular
flap reaching much beyond pectorals; fins all more or less
falcate; color gray; D. 55 to 60; A. 56; length 5 feet or
more. Mississippi and its larger tributaries, abundant.
A singular fish, bearing considerable resemblance to a
Shark.

OEDEE FF. - CHOKDOESTEI.

(The Cartilaginous Ganoids.)
This order is equivalent to the family Acipenseridce.

FAMILY CXV.— ACIPENSERID^E.

(TJie Sturgeons.)

Body elongate, sub-cylindrical, with five longitudinal
rows of bony shields, the lower sometimes deciduous;
snout produced; mouth entirely inferior, transverse,
protractile, toothless; four barbels in a row under snout
in front of mouth; vertical fins with fulcra; caudal hete-
rocercal; dorsal and anal far back. No branchiostegals ;
air bladder large, not cellular; stomach not ccecal, with
pyloric appendages; intestines with spiral valve; distri-
bution same as that of Salmo. Fresh waters of northern
regions, some species marine and entering rivers.
Genera two; species twenty (Giinther\ eighty or more

POLYODONTIDJE. — CXIV. 311

(August Dume'ril). Perhaps in no group has the making
of nominal species been carried to a greater extent than
in this.

* Rows of bony bucklers distinct throughout ; spiracles present ;

snout rather narrow, sub-conical. . . ACIPENSER, 1.

** Rows of bony bucklers confluent behind, entirely surrounding
the depressed tail ; no spiracles ; snout flattened, rather broad,
shovel -shaped SCAPHIRHYNCHUS, 2.

/. ACIPENSER, Linnaeus. STURGEONS.

* Marine species ascending rivers ; lateral shields 22 to 32.

1. A. stur/'o, L. COMMON SEA STURGEON. SHARP -
NOSED STURGEON. Snout pointed, half the length of
head; dorsal shields 11 to 13; lateral shields 26 to 31;
D. 37 to 44 rays. Atlantic Ocean S. to Africa and West
Indies. (A. oxyrhynchus^ Mit., the American form.)

2. A. brevirosiris, LeSueur. BLUNT-NOSED STURGEON.
Snout blunt, one-quarter length of head; dorsal shields
8 to 10; lateral shields 22 to 28; abdominal 8 to 10; D.
30 rays; skin with minute scattered prickles and stellate
ossifications. Cape Cod to Fla.

** Species of fresh water ; lateral shields 33 to 38.

3. A. macu/osuSf LeSueur. ROCK STURGEON. BONY
STURGEON. Snout pointed, nearly as long as rest of
head; head 3^ in length of body; bony shields large,
close together, 13 to 16 in front of dorsal, 33 to 38 on
sides, 9 or 10 on abdomen, all of them rough and strongly
radiated, with more or less hooked or incurved tips; skin
rough; D. 37 to 45. Great Lakes, Ohio B. and north-
ward. (Possibly the young of the next ?)

4. A. rubicundus, LeSueur. RED STURGEON. LAKE
STURGEON. Head 4-J in length; eye 10 in head, nearly
midway; dorsal scutes 16 (to base of D), relatively small

312 FISHES.

and rather distant; lateral scutes 35; ventral scutes 9;
snout rather blunt, becoming more so with age, rather
shorter than rest of head; barbels nearer to end of snout
than to eye ; scutes relatively smaller, smoother and less
crowded than in the preceding; blackish, sides paler or
reddish; length 2 to 6 feet; D. 37. Great Lakes and
Western Rivers.

2. SCAPHIRHYNCHUS, Hajckel. SHOVEL -NOSED STUR-
GEONS.

1. S. platyrhynchus, (Raf.) Grd. SHOVEL-NOSED STUR-
GEON. Tail wider than deep, extending beyond caudal
rays and ending in a filament; snout nearly the form of
a spade; whole body rough with small prickles; dorsal
shields 15 or 16; lateral shields 40 to 46; abdominal 10
to 13; all the shields rough and strongly carinated, the
keel ending behind in a spine which points backward;
size large. Mississippi Valley.

LAMPREYS. 313

(The Lampreys?)

Skeleton cartilaginous, without ribs, limbs, shoulder
girdle nor pelvic elements; skull imperfectly developed,
without true jaws; a single median nostril; gills in the
form of fixed sacs, without branchial arches; gill sacs
typically seven on each side ; mouth nearly circular, suc-
torial; no scales; body elongated, eel-shaped; alimentary
canal nearly straight and simple; no arterial bulb.

(Class VI. — ELASMOBRANCHII, the Selachians, repre-
sented on our Atlantic Coast by many species of Sharks
and Skates, is here omitted, as its members are exclusively
marine, and it does not therefore come within the scope
of this treatise. Class VIII. — LEPTOCAKDII, the Lan-
celets, is also omitted for the same reason. The latter
class contains, as far as now known, but a single genus,
BRANCHIOSTOMA or Amphioxus, with two or three species.
One of these, Branchiostoma caribceum, Sundevall, occurs
along the coast of our South Atlantic States.)

ORDERS OF MARSIPOBRANCHII.

* Nasal duct a blind sac, not penetrating the palate.

HYPEROARTIA, GG.

** Nasal duct penetrating the palate. HYPEROTRETA, page 313.
GG. FAMILIES OF HYPEROARTIA.

* Branchial sacs seven on each side • intestine with spiral valve.

PETROMYZONTID.E, 116.

FAMILIES OF HYPEROTRETA.

* One external aperture on each side of body, leading by six ducts

to as many branchial sacs ; no spiral valve ; marine para-
sites, burrowing into the bodies of other fishes.

Myxinida, the Hag Fishes.
14

314 LAMPREYS.

OEDEK Ga.-HTPEEOAETIA.

(The Lampreys.)

FAMILY CXVL — PETROMYZONTID^E.

(The Lampreys.)

Body eel-shaped, naked; dorsal and anal fins long and
low, usually continuous with the caudal; mouth suctorial,
armed with horny teeth which rest on papillae. Eggs
small.

These animals undergo a metamorphosis; the young
are usually toothless, and have the eyes rudimentary.
Genera five or six, in temperate regions, found in all
waters. They attach themselves to fishes and other ani-
mals, and feed by scraping off the flesh, by means of their
rasp-like teeth.

The American species are still very imperfectly known.
Until quite recently the larvae were considered as form-
ing distinct genera, which have been termed Ammocoetes,
jScolecosoma^ CTiilopterus, etc.

* Dorsal fins two, nearly or quite distinct, tlie second continuous
with the caudal; "maxillary tooth bicuspid."

PETROMYZON, 1.

** Dorsal fin single, continuous with the caudal ; " maxillary tooth
tricuspid." ICHTHYOMYZON, 2.

/. PETROMYZON, Linnasus. LAMPREYS.

> AmmocceteS) Dumeril, (jLarvce.)
1. P. marinus, (L.) var. americanus, (LeS.) Wilder.
GREAT SEA LAMPREY. Resembles the next, but larger,
with a shorter head, which is but little longer than the
"chest" (space occupied by the branchial openings);
color olive brown, mottled with black; L. 30 to 40.
Marine, ascending rivers, eastward.

PBTEOMYZONTID^!. — CXVI. 815

2. P. nigricans, LeS. LAKGE BLACK LAMPREY. Head
very large, longer than the "chest," 6-J in length; depth
about 13; body little compressed; dorsal fins rather low,
distinctly separated; eyes and mouth very large; a de-
pression between eyes and snout; a single bicuspid tooth
in front of oesophagus; mandibulary plate curved, with
about eight pointed teeth; rest of mouth covered with
rather large teeth disposed in oblique cross-rows, five or
more in each row; lips fringed; L. 12. Lakes and
streams, Cayuga L., N. Y. (TPV&fer), and E.; properly a
marine species. (Several other Lampreys have been
described from our Eastern streams and coast, but they
are very doubtful.)

3. P. niger, Raf. SMALL BLACK LAMPKEY. Head
moderate, longer than "chest," 8J in total length; depth
14; body scarcely compressed except behind; dorsal fins
rather high, slightly connected; eyes large; mouth rather
small, two rather large teeth well apart in front of oeso-
phagus; mandibulary plate nearly straight, with about
eight sub-equal teeth; a few scattering teeth on sides of
mouth; snout rounded; dark blue black, unspotted, sil-
very below; L. 8 to 11. Great Lakes, Upper Miss, and
Ohio Valley, abundant in many localities, ascending
small brooks in the spring.

2. ICHTHYOMYZON, Girard. LAMPERNS.
> Scolecosoma^ Grd. (JLarvce.)

1. /. argenteus, (Kirt.) Grd. SILVERY LAMPREY. Head
quite small, shorter than "chest," about 10 in length;
depth nearly the same, in adult; body stout, compressed;
dorsal fin very high, with a shallow depression; eyes dis-
tinct in adult, concealed in young; mouth small, with
inconspicuous teeth; color ashy silvery, with numerous

316 LAMPREYS.

small black dots; larger ones above the gill openings;
L. 12. Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, E. to N. Y., fre-
quent. (Ammoccetes concolor, Kirt., A. cepyptera, Ab-
bott.)

2. /. casta neus, Grd. Chestnut-colored without spots;
eyes inconspicuous; " mandibulary plate with nine teeth."
Minn.

3. /. hirudo, Grd. Grayish, unspotted; eyes small;
"mandibulary plate with seven teeth." Ark.

ADDENDA.

(Page 233.)

G/ossop/ites me/anops, (Grd.) Jordan. Two fine spe-
cimens, 6 inches long, of this species, taken in Lake
Michigan, June, 1876, show the following characters in
addition to those given in the text:

Dark olive green above; sides greenish and brassy
with blotches of pale blue and bright coppery red — the
latter shade predominating; belly bright brassy yellow,
profusely mottled with bright red; lower jaw chiefly yel-
low; iris bright red, as in most Sun Fishes; opercular
spot as large as eye, black, bordered with copper color;
three or four wide dark red bands radiating backwards
from eye across cheeks and opercles, separated by nar-
row pale blue ones; upper fins barred with black, orange
and blue, the former color predominating; lower fins
blackish; a small faint black spot on last rays of dorsal;
dorsal spines moderately high, very stout, the longest as
long as from snout to middle of eye; head 2f in length;
depth 2-J-; eye as long as snout, 4 to 5 in head; mucous
pores about head very large.

(Page 235.)

fchthe/is incisor, (C. & V.) Holbr. Some very large
specimens, taken in Lake Michigan, have the depth
considerably more than half length, the flap very large
and broad, sometimes an inch square, and the dorsal spot

(317)

318 ADDENDA.

quite obscure. Occasionally the body is almost orbicular
in form, the profile being nearly vertical. Some speci-
mens have the belly strongly tinged with orange red.

(Page 300.)

" Ictalurus nigricans." The great Fork-Tailed Cat-
Fish of the Lakes, mentioned in the text under the above
name, is an Amiurus, and should stand as Amiurus nigri-
cans, (LeS.) Gill.

A specimen two feet long, taken in Lake Michigan,
shows the following characters : Tail strongly forked;
supra-occipital bone free behind; head small, 4^ in
length, its width 5; upper jaw much longer than lower;
barbels very long, longest reaching much beyond
opercle; body heavy and deep, the depth being about
4 in length; body wider than head; dorsal outline ele-
vated; color blackish, somewhat mottled, white below;
D. I, 6; P. I, 10; A. 25. (A. nigricans of Giinther and
of Cope is described as having the caudal fin truncate
which it certainly is not in this species.)

GLOSSAET

OP THE

PRINCIPAL TECHNICAL TERMS

USED IN THIS WORK.*

Abdomen— Belly.

Abdominal — Pertaining to the belly — said ol the ventral fins of
fishes when inserted considerably behind the pectorals, away
from the shoulder girdle.

Abortive — Remaining or becoming imperfect.

Acuminate — Tapering gradually to a point.

Acute — Sharp-pointed.

Adipose fin — A peculiar, fleshy, fin-like projection on the backs
of Salmons, Cat Fishes, etc., behind the dorsal fin.

Air bladder — A sac filled with air, lying beneath the back-bone of
fishes, corresponding to the lungs of the higher vertebrates.

Allantois — An organ of the embryo.

Altrices — Birds reared in the nest and fed by the parents.

Altricial — Having the nature of Altrices.

Alula— The feathers attached to the " thumb " of a bird.

Alveolar surface— A. portion of the jaw of a turtle, where the
teeth-sockets (alveola) might be expected to be.

Amnion — An organ of the embryo.

Amphiccelian — Biconcave — said of vertebrae.

Anadromous— Said of marine fishes which run up rivers to spawn.

Anal — Pertaining to the anus or vent.

Anal fin — The fin on the median line, behind the vent, in fishes.

Anal plate — The plate, immediately in front of the vent, in ser-
pents.

* In the preparation of this Glossary, the author has largely drawn from
Dr. Coues' " Glossary of the Technical Terms used in Descriptive Ornithology,"
in Baird, Brewer and Ridgway's History of North American Birds, Vol. III.
pp. 535—560.

(319)

320 GLOSSARY.

Anteorbital plate — The plate, in front of the eye, in serpents.

Antrorse — Turned forwards.

Anus — The external opening of the intestines.

Arterial bulb — The muscular swelling, at the base of the great

artery, in fishes, etc.
Articulated— Jointed.
Artiodactylous — Even-toed (toes 2 or 4.)
Attenuate — Long and slender, as if drawn out.
Auricle — The large lobe of the external ear ; also, one of the

chambers of the heart.
Barbel — An elongated fleshy projection, usually about the head,

in fishes.

Basal — Pertaining to the base ; at or near the base.
Beak — The bill of birds, or (in other animals) any beak-like

structure.

Bend of Wing — Angle at the carpus when the wing is folded.
Bicolor — Two-colored.
Booted — Said of the tarsus, when its scales coalesce and form a

continuous envelope.

BrancJiicB — Gills ; respiratory organs of fishes, etc.
Branchial — Pertaining to the gills.
Branchiostegals — The bony rays supporting the branchiostegal

membranes, under the head of a fish, below the opercular

bones, and behind the lower jaw.
Bristle— A stiff hair, or hair-like feather.
Caducous — Falling off early.

Calcareous — Containing or composed of carbonate of lime.
Canines — The teeth behind the incisors — the "eye-teeth"; in

fishes, teeth in the front part of the jaws, longer than the

others.

Carapace — The upper part of the shell of a turtle.
Carinate — Keeled, having a ridge along the middle line.
Carpus — The wrist.
Caudal — Pertaining to the tail.
Caudal fin — The fin on the tail of fishes.
Caudal peduncle — The region between the anal and caudal fins in

fishes.
Cavernous — Containing cavities, either empty or filled with a

mucous secretion.

GLOSSARY. 321

Cere — Fleshy, cutaneous or membranous covering of the base of
the bill in many birds, particularly the Owls, Hawks, and
Parrots.

Cervical — Pertaining to the neck.

Chiasma — Crossing of the fibres of the optic nerve.

Chin — The space between the forks of the lower jaw.

Ciliated — Fringed with eye-lash-like projections.

Cinereous — Ashy in color.

Clamatorial — Pertaining to or like the Clamatores.

Clavicle — The collar bone.

Coseal — Of the form of a blind sac.

Caecum — An appendage of the form of a blind sac, connected with
the alimentary canal.

Commissure — The line on which the mandibles of a bird are closed.

Compressed — Flattened laterally.

Condyle — Articulating surface of a bone.

Conirostral — Said of a bill like that of a Sparrow; conical in
form and with the commissure angulated.

Costal folds — Folds of the skin (of a Salamander) showing the
position of the ribs.

Crest — In birds, any lengthened feathers about the head; else-
where, any elevated or crest-like projection.

Crissum — The under tail coverts, in birds.

Ctenoid — Rough-edged, said of scales when the posterior margin
is minutely spinous or pectinated.

Culmen — The middle line or ridge of the upper mandible in birds.

Cuneate — Wedge-shaped ; said of a bird's tail when the middle
feathers are longest and the rest regularly shorter.

Cycloid — Smooth-edged ; said of scales not ctenoid, but concen*
trically striate.

Deciduous — Temporary, falling off.

Decurved — Curved downward.

Dentate — With tooth-like notches.

Dentirostral — Having the bill notched near its tip.

Depressed — Flattened vertically.

Depth — Vertical diameter (usually of the body of fishes.)

Dermal — Pertaining to the skin.

Diaphanous — Translucent.

Digitigrade — Walking on the toes, like a dog.

Dorsal — Pertaining to the back.
21

322 GLOSSARY.

Dorsal fin — The fin on the back of fishes.

Emarginate — Slightly forked or notched at the tip, or sometimes

abruptly narrowed (said of quills.)
Endoskeleton — The skeleton proper — the inner bony framework of

the body.

Epignathous — Having the bill hooked.
Erectile — Susceptible of being raised or erected.
Even — (Tail) having all the feathers of equal length.
Exoskeleton — Hard parts on the surface of the body.
Exserted — Projecting beyond the general level.
Facial — Pertaining to the face.
Falcate — Scythe-shaped ; long, narrow, and curved.
Falciform — Curved, like a scythe.
Fasciated — With broad colored bands.

Fauna — The animals inhabiting any region, taken collectively.
Ferrugineous — Rusty red.
Fibula — The small outer leg bone.
Filament — Any slender or thread-like structure.
Filiform —Thread-form.
Fissirostral — Having the bill very deeply cleft, beyond the base of

the horny part, as in the Swallows.
.ForeJiead— Frontal curve of head.
Foramen — A hole or opening.
Forficate — Deeply forked.

Fosses — The grooves in which the nostrils of many birds open.
Fossorial — Adapted for digging.
Fulcra — Rudimentary spine-like scales extending up the fins of

some fishes.

Fuliginous — Sooty or smoky brown.
Furcate — Forked.
Fuscous — Dark brown.
Fusiform — Spindle-shaped ; tapering toward both ends but rather

more abruptly forward.
Gape — Opening of the mouth.

Ganoid — Scales or plates of bone covered by enamel.
Gastrosteges— Band-like plates along the belly of a serpent.
Gills — Organs for breathing the air contained in water.
GiU openings — Openings leading to or from the branchiae.
Gill rakers — A series of structures like comb-teeth in the mouth

of some fishes.

GLOSSABY. 323

Glabrous — Smooth.

Gonys — The middle line of the lower mandible.

Gorget — Throat patch of peculiar feathers.

Graduated — Said of a bird's tail when the outer feathers are

regularly shorter.

Granulate — Rough with small prominences.
Gular — Pertaining to the gula, or upper fore-neck.
Guttate — With rounded, drop-shaped spots.
Hallux — The great toe — in birds, the hind toe.
Height — Vertical diameter — practically the same as depth.
Heterocercal — Said of the tail of a fish, when unequal — the back-
bone evidently running into the upper lobe.
Hirsute — With shaggy hairs.
Homocercal — Said of the tail of a fish when not evidently unequal ;

the back-bone apparently stopping at the middle of the base

of the caudal fin.

Humerus — Bone of the upper arm.
Hyoid — Pertaining to the tongue.
Hypognathous — Having the lower mandible longer than the upper,

as in the Black Skimmer.

Imbricate — Overlapping, like shingles on a roof.
Imperforate — Not pierced through.
Inarticulate — Not jointed.
Incisors — The front or cutting teeth.
Interfemoral membrane — The membrane connecting the posterior

limbs of a bat.
Intermaxillaries — The bones between the superior maxillaries,

forming the middle of the front part of the upper jaw, in

fishes : the premaxillaries.
Jugular — Pertaining to the lower throat— said of the ventral fins,

when placed in advance of the attachment of the pectorals.
Keeled — See Garinate.

Labials — Plates forming the lip of a serpent.
Lamella — Plate-like processes inside of the bill of a duck.
Lamellate — Said of a bill provided with lamellae, as in a duck.
Lateral — To or towards the side.
Lateral line — A series of muciferous tubes , forming a raised line

along the sides of a fish.
Laterally — Sidewise.
Locate — Furnished with membranous flaps — said of the toes of birds.

324 GLOSSAKY.

Longitudinal — Kunning lengthwise.

Loral plate — Plate between eye and mouth of a serpent.

Lore — Space between eye and bill.

Mailed cJieeks — Having the suborbital bone extending over the

cheeks, articulating with the preopercle (cheeks not neces-
sarily hard or bony) ; said of some fishes.
Mandible — Under jaw (or in birds, either jaw.)
Maxilla — Upper jaw.
Maxillaries — Outermost or hindmost bones of the upper jaw, in

fishes.

Metacarpus — The hand proper, exclusive of the fingers.
Metatarsus — The foot proper. (See Tarsus)
Molars — The grinding teeth; posterior teeth in the jaw.
Moniliform — Necklace-shaped — widened at regular intervals.
Monogamous — Pairing ; said of birds.
Muciferous — Producing or containing mucus.
Nape — Upper part of neck, next to the occiput.
Nasal — Pertaining to the nostrils.
Neural— Pertaining to nerves.

Nictitating membrane — The third or inner eye-lid, of birds, etc.
Nuchal — Pertaining to the nape or nucha.
Obscure — Dark, scarcely visible.
Obsolete — Faintly marked ; little evident.
Obtuse — Blunt.

Occipital — Pertaining to the occiput.
Occipital plates— Plates on the head of a serpent, behind the

vertical plate.
Occiput — Back of the head.
.Ocellate— With eye -like spots, generally roundish and with a

lighter border.
Ocherous — Brownish yellow.
Oid (suffix) — Like— as Percoid, perch-like.
Operde, or operculum— Gill cover; the posterior membrane bone

of the side of the head, in fishes.
Opercular bones — Membrane bones of the side of the head, in

fishes.
Opercular flap — Prolongation of the upper posterior angle of the

opercle, in Sun -Fishes, etc.

OpistJwccelian — Concave behind ; said of vertebrae.
Orbicular — Nearly circular.

GLOSSARY. 325

Orbit — Eye socket.

Oscine — Musical.

Oscine tarsus — By ellipsis, tarsus as in oscine birds ; i. e.y its
envelope undivided behind and forming a sharp ridge.

Oviparous — Producing eggs which are developed after exclusion
from the body, as in all birds.

Ovommparous — Producing eggs which are hatched before exclu-
sion, as in the Blind Fish and Garter Snake.

Palate— The roof of the mouth— in fishes, a part of the roof of the
mouth, lying behind the vomer and in front of the pharyngeals
(not to be confounded with either.)

Palatines — Bones of the palate.

Palmate — Web-footed, having the anterior toes full-webbed.

Papilla — A small, fleshy projection.

Papillose — Covered with papillae.

Paragnathous — Having the two mandibles about equal in length.

Pectinate — Having teeth like a comb.

Pectoral — Pertaining to the breast.

Pectoral fins — The anterior or uppermost of the paired fins, in
fishes, corresponding to the anterior limbs of the higher
Vertebrates.

Pelage — The hair of a Mammal, taken collectively.

Pelagic — Living on or in the high seas.

Perforate — Pierced through; said of nostrils when without a
septum.

Perissodactylous — Odd-toed (toes 1, 3, or 5.)

Peritoneum — The membrane lining the abdominal cavity.

Phalanges — Bones of .the fingers and toes.

Pharyngeal bones — Bones at the beginning of the oesophagus of
fishes, of various forms, almost always provided with teeth.

Pharyngognathous — Having the lower pharyngeal bones united.

Pigment — Coloring matter.

Plantigrade — Walking on the sole of the foot, as do men and
bears.

Plastron — Lower shell of a turtle.

Plicate — Folded ; showing transverse folds or wrinkles.

Plumage— The feathers of a bird, taken collectively.

Plumbeous — Lead-colored — dull bluish gray.

Pollex — Thumb ; in birds, the digit which bears the alula — corre-
sponding to the index finger.

326 GLOSSARY.

Polygamous — Mating with more than one female.

PrcBCoces — Birds able to run about and feed themselves at birth.

PrcBCodal — Having the nature of Prcecoces.

Premaxillaries — Same as intermaxillaries.

Premolars — The small grinders ; the teeth between the canines

and the true molars.
Preopercle — The membrane bone lying in front of the opercle and

more or less nearly parallel with it; the " false gill covers."
Primary— Any one of the ten (often nine, rarely eleven) of the

large, stiff quills growing upon the pinion or hand-bone of a

bird, as distinguished from the secondaries, which grow upon

the fore arm.
Primary Wing Coverts — The coverts overlying the bases of the

primaries.

Projectile — Capable of being thrust forward.
Protractile — Capable of being thrust forward.
Pulmonary — Pertaining to the lungs.
Punctate — Dotted with points.
Pyloric cceca — Glandular appendages in the form of blind sacs

opening into the alimentary canal of many fishes at the

pylorus or passage from the stomach to the intestine.
Quadrate — Nearly square.

Quadrilocular — Four-chambered — said of the heart.
Quill— One of the stiff feathers of the wing or tail of a bird.

Quincunx — Set of five arranged alternately, thus *

Radius — Outer bone of fore arm.

Ray — One of the cartilaginous rods which support the membrane

of the fin of a fish.

Rectrices — Quills of the tail of a bird.
Recurved — Curved upward.
Remiges — Quills of the wing of a bird.
Reticulate — Marked with a network of lines.
Retractile — Susceptible of being drawn inward, as a cat's claw.
Retrorse— Directed backward.
Rictal — Pertaining to the rictus, as rictal bristles.
Rictus — Gape of the mouth.
Rostral — Pertaining to the snout, as rostral plate.
Rudimentary — Undeveloped.

GLOSSARY. 327

Ruff— A series of modified feathers.

Scansorial— Capable of climbing.

Scansorial tail — Tail feathers sharp and stiff, as in the scansorial

birds (Woodpeckers).
Scapula — Shoulder blade.
Scutellate— Provided with scutella ; said of the tarsus when

covered with broad plates in a regular vertical series, and

separated by regular lines of impression.
Scutellum — One of the tarsal plates or scutella.
Secondaries — The quills growing on the fore arm.
Second dorsal — The posterior or soft part of the dorsal fin, when

the two parts are distinctly separated.
Sectorial tooth — One of the premolars of carnivora, adapted for

cutting.
Semipalmate — Half -webbed ; having the anterior toes more or less

connected at base by a webbing which does not extend to the

claws.

Septum — A thin partition.
Serrate — Notched, like a saw.
Sessile— Without a stem or peduncle.
Setaceous — Bristly.
Slwulder girdle — The bony girdle posterior to the head, in fishes,

etc., to which the anterior limbs are attached.
Soft dorsal — The posterior part of the dorsal fin in fishes, when

composed of soft rays.

Soft rays — Fin -rays which are branching and articulate.
Spine — Any sharp projecting point; in fishes, those fin -rays

which are unbranched, inarticulate, and usually more or less

stiffened.

Spinous— Stiff, or composed of spines.
Spinous dorsal — The anterior part of the dorsal fin in fishes,

when composed of spinous rays.
Spiracles — Openings in the head or neck of some fishes and

Batrachians.

Spurious — Said of the first primary when less than about one-
third the length of the second. (The student will notice that

in Oscines the presence of a short or spurious quill indicates

ten primaries ; its absence, nine.)
Sternum — The breast bone.
Striate — Striped or streaked.

328 GLOSSARY.

Sub (in composition) — Less than ; somewhat ; not quite ; under,
etc.

Suffrage — Heel joint; tibio — tarsal joint.

Sub-caudal — Under the tail.

Sub-opercle — The bone immediately below the opercle.

Sub-orbital — Below the eye.

Subulate — Awl-shaped.

Superciliary — Pertaining to the region of the eyebrow.

Supra-orbital — Above the eye.

Syndactyle — Having two toes immovably united for some distance
— as in the Kingfisher.

Synonym — A different word having the same or a similar meaning.

Tail — In mammals, the vertebrae, etc., posterior to the sacrum ; in
birds, the tail-feathers or rectrices, taken collectively ; in ser-
pents, the part of the body posterior to the vent ; in fishes
(usually), the part of the body posterior to the anal fin.
(Everywhere used more or less vaguely.)

Tail Coverts — The small feathers overlapping the bases of the
rectrices.

Tarso-metatarsus — The correct name for the so-called tarsus of
birds ; the bone reaching from the tibia to the toes, composed
chiefly of the metatarsus, but having at its top one of the
small tarsal bones confluent with it.

Tarsus — The ankle-bones collectively ; in birds* commonly used
for the shank-bone, lying between the tibia and the toes, the
tarso-metatarsus.

Tectrices — The wing and tail coverts.

Temporal — Pertaining to the region of the temples.

Tenuirostral — Slender-billed.

Terete — Cylindrical and tapering.

Terminal — At the end.

Tertials — The quills attached to the humerus.

Tessellated — Marked with little checks or squares, like mosaic
work.

Thoracic — Pertaining to 'the chest; ventral fins are thoracic when
attached immediately below the pectorals, as in the perch.

Tibia — Shin-bone ; inner bone of leg between knee and heel.

Tomium — Cutting edge of the bill.

Totipalmate — Having all four toes connected by webbing.

Tragus — The inner lobe of the ear ; the lobe opposite the auricle.

GLOSSARY. 329

Transverse — Crosswise.

Trenchant — Compressed to a sharp edge.

Truncate — Abrupt, as if cut squarely off.

Tubercle — A small excrescence, like a pimple.

Tympanum — Drum of the ear ; external in some Batrachia.

Typical — Of a structure the most usual in a given group.

Ulna — The inner or posterior bone of the fore-arm.

Ungulate — Provided with hoofs.

Unguiculate — Provided with claws.

Unicolor — Of a single color.

Urosteges—The plates underneath the tail of a serpent

Vent — The external opening ot the alimentary canal.

Ventral — Pertaining to the abdomen.

Ventral fins — The paired fins behind or below the pectoral fins

in fishes, corresponding to the posterior limbs in the higher

vertebrates.

Ventral plates — Gastrosteges in serpents.
Ventricle — One of the chambers of the heart.
Versatile — Capable of being turned either way.
Vertebra — One of the bones of the spine.
Vertical — Up and down.
Vertical fins — The fins on the median line of the body; the dorsal,

anal and caudal fins.

Vertical plate— Central plate on the head of a serpent.
Villiform— Said of the teeth of fishes when slender and crowded

into velvety bands.
Viscous — Slimy; viscid.
Vitta — A band of color.
Viviparous — Bringing forth living young.
Vomer — In fishes, the front part of the roof of the mouth ; a bone

lying immediately behind the premaxillaries.
Web — The vane of a feather, on either side of the rhachis or

" stem " ; also, the membrane connecting the toes.
Zygodactyle — Yoke-toed ; having the toes in pairs — two in front,

two behind.
Zygoma — The malar or cheek bone.

INDEX TO NAMES
GENERA AND HIGHER GROUPS,

"WITH THEIR DERIVATIONS.

NOTE. — In this index, names of genera recognized in this
work are printed in ordinary type, as Dendrceca; families and
higher groups in small capitals, as EMYDIDJS; synonyms and
sub -genera in italics, as Amblodon. In giving the etymology of
terms, all words not otherwise designated are understood to he
Greek; L. indicates Latin. Greek words are here, for con-
venience, printed in Roman characters.

PAGE.

Abastor: a coined name, . . 181
Ablabes: ablabes, harmless, . 179
A br amis : L.. a bream, . . 291
Acantharchus : aTcantha — spine ;

archos— anal (many anal spines) 232
ACANTHOPTERI: akantho— spine;

pteron— fin 215

Accipiter: L., ahawk, . . 113
Acipenser: L., a sturgeon (sharp

fins) 311

ACIPENSERID^E: . . . 310
Acomus: meaningless, . . 293
Acris : L., sharp — from the note, 190
Actiturus: actaino — to move

quickly; our a — tail (wagtail), 129
Actodromas: akte — sea beach;

dromos — a running, . . 127
^ffigialitis: aigialites — pertaining

to the shore, .... 121
^giothus: aigiothos — a hedge

sparrow, 82

jUSsalon: aisalon— a merlin (kind

of hawk) Ill

Agelseus: agelaios — gregarious, 92
Aix: aix — a goat, ... 142

PAGE.

ALAUDHXE: L., alauda— a lark

(L., laudo to praise), . . 56
Alburnellus: Dim. of Alburnus

the Bleak (from L. albus, white) 289
Albumops: Alburnus-like, . 282
Alee: an elk (Scandinavian), . 21
ALCEDINID^E : L., alcedo— a King-
fisher 101

ALECTORIDES: aleTttor— a cock;

eidos — likeness, . . . 134
Alligator: L., one who binds, 157
Alosa: German, alse— ashad, 265
Alvordius: to Major Alvord, . 222
Amblodon: amblus — blunt; odon

tooth, 241

Ambloplites : amblus — blunt ;

hop lites— armed, . . . 231
AMBLYOPSIDJE: .... 256
Amblyopsis; amblus— blunt; opsis

vision, 257

Amblystoma: amblus — blunt ;

stoma — mouth 194

AMBLYSTOMID^E: . . . 194
Amia: name of some sea-fish,
probably the bonito, . . 306

(331)

332

INDEX.

PAGE.

AMIID.E: 305

Amiurus: o — not; meiouros —

notched (the tail), . . . 300
Ammocoetes: ammokoites — lying

in the sand, .... 314
Anun odromus : ammos — sand ;

dromos— running, ... 84
Ampells: ampeUs— a kind of sing-
ing bird 73

AMPELIDJB: 72

Amphiuma: meaning unknown, 197
AMPHIUMID^E: .... 197
Amyda: L., a turtle (JSmy*), . 168
ANACANTHINI : a — without ;

akantha— spine, . . . 246
Anas: L., a duck, . . . 140

ANATID^S: 137

Ahcistrodon: agkisfron — a hook;

odon — tooth 184

ANOUID^S: L.. anguis— the " blind

worm," 170

Anguilla; L., an eel (from anguis) 304
ANGUILLID^} . . .304

Anorthura: a — without; orthos —

regular; oura — tail, . . 55
Anser: L., a goose, . . . 140
Authus : anthos — a flower, or

something bright, ... 57
Antrostornus: antrqn — cavern;

stoma — mouth, ... 99
ANURA: a— without; oura — tail, 187
Apeltes: a— without; pelte— shield 248
APHREDODERID^E, . . . 240
Aphredoderus: aphros — foam;

deros — skin, .... 240
APODES: a— without; potts— foot

(ventral fins) 304

Aquila: L., an eagle, . . . 114
Archibuteo: L., chief of buzzards, 114
Arctomys: arktos — bear; mus —

mouse 28

Ardea; L., a heron, ... 131

ARDEID^B 130

Ardetta: L., a little heron, . 133
Argyreus: argureos—s$\ery, . 280
Argy rosomus : arguros — silver ;

soma — body 262

ARIDJS: from Ara, L., a macaw, 105
Arlina: a coined name, . . 221
Aromochelys: aroma — odor; che-

lus — turtle 166

Arquatella: L., arcuatus — bent

likBabow 127

Arvicola: L., living in fields, . 32

PAGE.
Aspidonectes: aspis — shield; nek-

tes— a swimmer, . . . 168
A static hthys: astatos — never

standing still; ichthus — fish, 219
Astragalinus ; astragalos — the

ankle bone 83

Astur: L,, a goshawk, . . 112
Asturina : L., diminutive of

Astur 113

Atalapha: (atalos— tender ?) . 23
ATHERINID^E : atherine— a small,
bony fish (from other, an ar-
row) 250

Atractosteus; atraktos — spindle ;

osteon, bone 309

AVES: L., birds 36

Aythya: aithuia— a kind of water

bird 143

Baskanium: baskanos— malignant 178
BATRACHIA: batrachos— a frog, 185
Bern a: Latin name (a barnacle) 140
Blarina: a meaningless name, 26
Boleichthys: holts — dart; ichthus
— fish, ...... 220

Boleosoma. bolis — dart; soma —

body 221

Bonasa: L., a bull, from the

"drumming," . . . . 119
Botaurus: L., bos-taurus — bull,

from the "booming." . . 133
Brachyotus : brachuotoa short-
eared, 108

Brauta: English, brant, . . 140
Bryttus: brutto — to growl, . 235
Bubalichthys : bubalos — buffalo ;

ichthus — fish 298

Bubo: L., a horned owl, . . 109
Bucephala: bous— bull; Ttephale—

head, 143

Bufo: L., a toad, .... 190

BUPONID^E: 190

Buteo: L., a buzzard, . . . 113
Butorides: L., bittern-like, . 132
Calemys: katos — beautiful ; emus

—turtle, 162

Calidris: L., asanderling, . 128
Calliurus: katos — beautiful; our a

—tail, 234

Calopisma : Ttalos — beautiful ;

lopisma — skin 181

Campephilus : kampe— caterpil-
lar; phileo— to love, . . . 103
Campostoma : kampe — curve ;
stoma — mouth 275

INDEX.

833

PAGE.

Camptolyemus: kampte — flexible;

lai??ios — throat, . . . 144
Canace: L., a daughter of ^Eolus, 118

CANID^E: 16

Canis: L., a dog, .... 17
CAPRIMULGID.E: from L., Capri-

mulgus — goat-sucker, . . 98
Carassi us : L., a crucian carp, . 291
Cardinalis: L., cardinal, . . 89

Cariacus: 22

CARJUVORA: L., flesh-eating, 15
Carphophiops : karphos — a dry
twig; op his — snake; ops — ap-
pearance 182

Carpiodes: L., carp-like, . . 296
Carpodacus: karpos— fruit; dakno

— to bite, 82

Castor: L., a beaver, ... 29

CASTORID^E, 29

Catharista : kathairo — to cleanse, 115
Catharles: kathartes — one who

purifies 115

CATHARTID^E, . . . . 114
Catonotus: kata — low; notos —

back, 218

CATOSTOMID^E, .... 291
Catostomus: fcata— low; stoma —

mouth, 293

Caudisona: L., cauda — tail; sono

— to sound 184

Celuta: L., celer— swift, . . 182
Centrarchus : kentron — spine;

archos— anal (many anal spines) 230
Centrophanes : kentron — spine;'

phaneo — to show, ... 83
Centurus: kenteo — to prick : our a

tail 104

Ceratichthys : keras— horn; ichthus

— fish 278

Certhia: L., a creeper wren. . 53
CERTHIID^, ..... 53

CERVID^B, 20

Cervus: L,., a deer, ... 22
Ceryle: kerulos — a kingfisher, 101
Chsenobryttus: chaino — to yawn;

bruttos — a sun fish (growler), 234
Chsetura: chaite— mane (bristle);

our a — tail, 100

Chamsepelia: chamai — on the
ground; peleia — ring-dove (pel-
eios — dusky) .... 116
CHARADRIID^E, .... 120
Charadrius: charadrios — a lap-
wing or some other water-bird

PAGE.

(from charadra, a torrent), . 121
Chatoessus: chateo—to yawn, . 266
Chaulelasmus: chaulos— loose, or

gaping; elasmos — a plate, or

blade, 141

Chelopus: cliele — claw; pous —

foot 162

Chelydra; cheludros— a water rep-
tile 167

CHELYDRID^E: . . . . 166
CHIROPTERA: cheir — hand;

pteron — wing, .... 22
Chirostoina: cheir — hand; stoma

mouth 250

Chloris: chloros— green, . . 60
Chologaster : cholos — defective,

lame; gaster— belly, . . 257
Chondestes : chondros — grain ;

esthio— to eat 85

CHONDROSTEI: chondros— carti-
lage; osteon— bone, . . . 310
Chordeiles: choreo — to wander;

deile — twilight, .... 99
Chorophilus : chores — dance

(chorus) ; phileo— to love, . 189
Chroacocephalus: chroia — color ;

kephale— head, .... 150
Chrosomus: chroia— color; soma

—body, 284

Chrysemys: chrusos — golden;

emus — water-turtle, . . 163
Chrysomitris : chrusos — golden ;

mitra — cap 82

Circus: L., a sacred falcon which

flies in circles 112

CINOSTERNID^E: .... 165
Cinosternum : feineo — to move;

sternon — sternum, . . . 166
Cistothorus : fcistos — rock-rose ;

thereto — to seek, ... 55
Cistudo: kiste — a box, . . 162
Clangula: Latin name, clangor —

a sharp bird's scream, . . 143
Clinostomus : klino — to Incline;

stoma— mouth, .... 285
CLUPEnx<E: from L., clupea — a

herring 264

Cneinidophorus: knemidophoros—

wearing leg armor, . . . 170
Coccygus: kokkux — a cuckoo, 102
Colaptes : kolapto — to strike with

the bill 105

Collurio: kollurlon — a shrike

(butcher) 77

334

INDEX.

PAGE.

Coluber: L., a harmless snake, 178

COLUBRID^E 172

Columba: L., a dove, . . . 116

COLUMB^E: L., doves, . . 115

116
154

Colymbus: kolumbos— a diver, 154
Condylura: kondulos— node ; our a

— tail (from the beaded appear-
ance when dried), ... 25

Conocephalus: fconos--cone ; Tteph-

ale— head, . ... • 181
Contopus: kontos — spear; pous —

foot, 97

Conurus^ konos— cone; oura— tail, 106
Coregonus: korre — the temples;

gonos — angle 263

Coronella : L., corona — a crown, 180

CORVID.E 93

Corvina : from corvus, . . 242
Corvus: L., a raven, ... 94
Corynorhinus : Tcorune — club ;

rhin — snout, .... 24
Coryphodon : koruphe — vertex,

point; odorir— tooth, . . . 178
COTTUxas: L., coitus — a sculpin

(fcottos-head) 243

Cottog aster : coitus— a, sculpin;

gaster — belly 222

Coitus: kottos — head (from the

great size of that part), . . 243
Coturniculus: diminutive of ko-

turnix — a kind of grouse, . 84
Cotyle: kotule— a cavity or hole, 72
Craxirex: L., crax— a gallinace-
ous bird; rex — king, . . 113
CROCODLLIA: krokodeilos— a cro-
codile 157

Crocodilus, 157

CROTALID^E, 183

Crotalophorus: krotalon—a. rattle ;

phoreo — to bear, . . . 184
Crotalus: krotalon — a rattle, . 183
CUCULID^E: L., cuculus— a cuckoo 101
Cupidonia: L., cupido— the god of

love 119

Cyanospiza: kuaneos— blue; spiza

— sparrow, .'.... 89
Cyanurus: kuaneos — blue; oura

tail, ...... 94

Cycleptus: kuklos — circle; leptos

— slender; (i.e. "small round
mouth.") 298

CYCLOGA2JOIDEI: cycloid-ganoid 305

PAGE.

Cyclophis: kukloi — circle ; ophis

— snake, 179

Cygnus: kuknos — a swan, . 139
Cylindrosteus: kulindros — a cy-
linder; osteon — bone. . . 308

Cyprinella: dim. of Cyprlnus, 288

CYPRINID^E, 267

Cyprinodou: kuprinos — a carp;

odon — a tooth 252

CYPRINODONTID^E, . . . 251
Cypriuus: kuprinos— a carp, . 291
CYPSELIDJE: L., cypselus— a swift

(kupsele— a cavern), ... 99
Dania: Latin name, . . . 141
Decactylus: dekas — ten; aktin —

ray, 293

Dendroeca: dendron— tree ; oikeo—

to inhabit, ..... 61
DESMOGNATHIDJB: . . . 191
Desrnoguathus: desmos — a bond;

gnathos— jaw 192

Diadophis: did— to divide; ophis

—snake, . . . . . 179

DlDELPHIDID^E: .... 35

Didelphys: dis — two; delphus —
uterus, 35

Diemyctylus: meaning unknown, 191

Diplesium; dis — two; plesion —
nearly (dorsal fin), . . . 223

Dolichonyx: dolichos— long ; onux

— claw, 91

Dorosoma: doru — lance; soma—

body 266

Ectopistes: ektopisteos — disposed

todepart, 116

Elanus: elanos— a kite, . . 112

ELAPID^B: 182

Elaps: elaps— a harmless snake, 183
ELASMOBRANCHII : elasmos — a

plate; bragchia— gill, . . 813
Enipidonax: empis — a mosquito;

anax — a prince. ... 97

EMYDIDuE, 161

Emys: emits — a water tortoise, 163
Eimeacauthus: ennea — iiine;

akantha — spine, . . . 232
Eremophila : eremos — desert ;

phileo — to love 56

Erethizon: erethizo — to irritate, 34
Ereunetes : ereunetes—au inquirer,

searcher, 126

Ericyuiba: ert — very or true ;

kumba— hollow or cavity, . 277
Erirnyzon: ert— true, strong; muzo

INDEX.

335

PAGE.

— to suck 294

Erinemus: eri — strong; nema —

a thread or barbel, ... 279
Erismatura: ereisma — a support,
prop; OUTO, — tail, . . . 145

ESOCID^E, 254

Esox: L., a pike .... 254
Estrella : a word of euphony, 221
Etheostoma: "various mouths,"
from the variety in that respect
in the genus as at first consti-
tuted 222

ETHEOSTOMID^E, . . . 215
Eucalia: eu— true; kalia— nest, 248
Eudytes: eu— true; dutes— a diver, 154
Eumeces: eumekes — long, of good

stature 171

EURHIPIDURA: eu — true; rhipis

— fan; our a — tail, ... 37
Euspiza: eu— true; spiza— a spar-
row 88

Euttenia: eu— true; tainia — rib-

' bon, 176

Eutychelithus : eutuches — lucky ;

lithos — stone, .... 242
EVENTOGNATHI: eu— true; entos

— within; gnathos — jaw, . 267
Evotomys : evotos — long - eared ;

mus— mouse, . .32

Exoglossum: exo — outside; glossa

— tongue, 274

Falcinellus : L., /ate— a scythe, 134
Falco: L., a falcon, . . , 111

FALCONID^B 109

Farancia: a word of euphony, 181
Fario: L., a brook trout, . . 259

FELID^B, 15

Felis: L., a cat, .... 16
FER^E: L., /era— wild, savage, 15
Fiber: L., a beaver. ... 33
Florida: Florida, one of the U. S.

where Herons abound, . . 132
FRINGILLID^E: from L,, Fringilla

—a finch 77

Fulica: L., a coot (sooty), . . 136
Fuligula: diminutive of F.ulix, 142
Fulix: same as Fulica, . , 142
Fundulus: L., fundus— bottom, 251
GADID^E: L., gadus— a cod-fish, 246
Galeoscoptes : galee — weasel ;

skoptes— mocker, ... 48
GALLING: L., Gallus— a cock, 117
Gallinago: L., Gallina— a kind of

wader, . . . . . . • 126

PAGE.

Gallinula: diminutive of Gallina, 136
GANOIDEI: ganos— splendor, . 305
Garzetta: a proper name, . . 132
GASTEROSTEID^B, . . . 247
Gasterosteus: g aster — belly ; ost-

eon— bone, 248

Gelochelidon: gelao — to laugh;

chelidon — a swallow, . . 151

GEOMYIDJB 29

Geomys: fire— the earth; mus —

mouse 29

Geothlypis: ge— the earth; thlupis

— a warbler (?), ... 68
Gila: Gila River, where the typi-
cal species occurs, . . . 285
Girardinus: to Dr. Chas. Girard, 251
GLIRES: L., glis — a dor-mouse, 26
Glossoplites: glossa— tongue; ho-

plites — armed, .... 233
Glottis: glottis— name of some bird 128
Glyptemys; gluplos — sculptured;

emus — tortoise, . . . 163
GOBIID^E: L.. gobius — a goby, 246
Gobio: L., gobio — a gudgeon, 278
Gobiosoma: L., gobius — a goby;

soma — body, .... 246
Goniaphea: gonos — cheeks (?);

phaios — black 88

Goniochelys: gonia— angle ; cfoelus

—turtle 166

Graculus: L., a jackdaw, from its

note — gra, gra 147

Graptemys : graptos — engraved;

emus — tortoise, . . . 164
Gronias: grone — a cavern, . 304

GRUID-.E, 134

Grus: L., a crane, . . . 135
Grystes: gruzo — to growl, . 229
Guiraca: meaningless, . . 89
Gulo: L., gulo — a glutton, . 19
Gypochelys: gups— a vulture; che-

lus — a turtle 167

Gyrinophilus: gurinos— a tadpole;

phileo— to love 194

Hadropterus: hadros— stout; pte-

223

... 122

Haematopus: haima— blooa; pous

—foot, 122

Haldea: meaningless? . . 181
Haliaetus: hals— sea; aetos — eagle, 114
Haplochilus : haploos — single,

simple; cTieiloa— a lip, . . 252
Hapioidonotus: haploidos —

336

INDEX.

PAGB.

cloaked; no to* — back, from
scales on dorsal fin (more likely
haploos — single ; noto* — back,
i. e. dorsal fin), .... 241

HAPLOMI: haploos— simple; omos
— humerus 251

Harelda: L., a herald. . . 143

Harporhynchus: harpe — a sickle;
rhunchos— a bill, ... 48

Hedymeles: hedus— sweet; melos
—a soug, 88

Helminthophaga: helmins — a
worm ; phago— to eat, . . 60

Helmitherus: helmins — a worm;
thereuo — to seek, ... 60

HEMIBRANCHII: hemi — half;
bragchia — gills, ... 247

Hemidactylium: hemi — half;
daktulos — claw, . . . 193

Hemioplites: hemi— half; hoplites
—armed 232

Hemitremia: hemi — half; trema
— aperture (lateral line half
way) 283

Herodias: herodios — a heron, 132

HERODIONES 130

Hesperiphona: hesperos— evening;
phoneo— to sing 81

Hesperocichla : hesperos — even-
ing ; fcichle— a thrush, . . 47

Hesperomys : hesperos— evening;
mus— a mouse, .... 31

Heterodon : heteros — different ;
odon— tooth 174

Hierofalco : L.. hierax, a hawk ;
falco, a falcon Ill

Himantopus : himantopous — a
kind of water-bird (crook-
shanks) 123

HlRUNDINIJXE, , 70

Hirundo: L., a swallow, . , 71
Histrionicus: L., a harlequin, 144
Hololepis: holos— entirely; lepis—

a scale, 220

Hopladelus: hop leis— armed ; de-

los— visible, .... 303
Hucho: a Latin name, . . 259
Mudsonius: Hudson River . 281
Huro: Lake Huron, . . . 229
Hybognathus: hubos — gibbous ;

gnathos— jaw, .... 276
Hybopsis : hubos— gibbous ; opsis

—face 281

Hyborhynchus : hubos— gi bbous ;

PAGE.

rhunchos— snout, . . . 276

Hydrargyra : hudor — water; ar-
guros— silver, .... 252

Hydrochelidon : hudor — water ;
chelidon— swallow, . . . 153

Hyla: hule— forest, . . . 189

HYLID^E: 189

Hylocichla: hule— forest; kichle—
thrush .46

Hylomyzon: hilus— mud; muzo—
to suck, ...... 293

Hylotomus: hule— wood; tomos—
cutting 103

Hyodon: L., os hyoides— bone of
the tongue; odon— a tooth (in-
tended for "toothed tongue " ), 264

HYODONTID^E 263

Hyostoma: hus — swine; stoma —
a mouth, 223

Hypentelium: hupo— under (lip?);
enteles-perfect 293

Hypohomus: hupo— beneath ; ho-
mos—uniform 223

Hyperistius: huper— high; histi-
on— a sail (dorsal), ... 230

HYPEROARTIA: huperoa — pal-
ate; artios— perfect, . . 314

HYPEROTRETA: huperoa — pal-
ate; tretos— perforate, . . 313

Hypsilepis: hupsi — high; lepis —
scale 286

Ibis: name in Greek, . . . 134

Ictalurus: ichthus— fish; ailuros—
cat, 299

ICHTHELIDJ3 227

Ichthelis: ichthus — fish; helios —
the sun 235

Ichthyobus: ichthus— fish ; boats—
buffalo 297

Ichthyomyzon : ichthus — fish ;
muse — to suck, .... 315

Ictinia: iktinos— a kite. . . 112

Icteria: ikteros— a yellowish green
bird, the sight of which would
cure the jaundice (ikteros). In
the process the bird dies, . 68

ICTERlDuE, 90

Icterus, 92

IGUANHXE: Iguana— a vernacular
name, 169

INSECTIVORA: L., insecta — in-
sect; voro— to eat, ... 24

Ischnognathus : ischnos — thin ;
gnathos — jaw 176

INDEX.

337

PAGE.

ISOSPONDYLI: isos— equal; spon-

dulos — a, vertebra, . . . 258
Ispida: a Latin name, . . 101
Jaculus: L., something thrown, 30
Junco: meaningless, ... 88
Labidesthes: labis — a pair of for-
ceps; esthio — to eat, . . 250

LABRACID^E 326

Labrax: labrax—name of some

voracious sea-fish, . . . 226
LACERTILIA: L., lacerta—a, lizard 168
Lagopus; lagopous — a ptarmigan
from lagos — a hare; potts— foot
(rough-footed like a hare), . 119
LAMELLIROSTRES ; L., lamella —

a thin plate; rostrum— bill, . 137
Lampropeltis: lampros — shining;

pelte — shield, .... 180
LANIHXE: L., lanius — a shrike

(butcher), 76

Lanivireo: lanius-vireo, . . 76

LARID^E 148

Larus: laros — a sea gull, . . 150
Lasiurus: lasios — hairy; oura —

tail 24

LEPIDOSTEID^E 307

Lepidosteus; lepis — scale; osteon

— bone 308

Lepomis: lepis — scale ; poma —

opercle 235

LEPORIDJ3 34

LEPTOCARDII: leptos — thin; kar-
dia — heart, ..... 313

Lepibema: lepis — scale; bema —
step, ''in allusion to the scaly
bases of the unpaired fins," 226

Leptophis: leptos— slender; ophis
—snake 179

Lepus: L.. a hare, ... 34

Lestris: lestris — a robber, . 149

Leuciscus: L., a dace (leukos —
white) 287

Leucosomus: leukos— white; soma
—body 277

LlMicoLxE: L., limus — mud; colo

— to inhabit, .... 120
Limosa: L., limosus — muddy, 128
Liopeltis: lews — smooth ; pelte —

shield, 179

Litholepis: lithos — stone ; lepis —

scale, 309

Lobipes: lobos— lobe; pous— foot, 123
LONGIPENNES: L., longus— long ;

penna— wing 147

PAGE.

Lophodytes: lop hos — crest; dutes

—diver, 145

Lophophanes: I o p ho s — crest;

phaino — to show, ... 51

Lota: L., a ling 247

Loxia- loxos— crosswise, . . 82
Lucioperca: L., lucius — a pike;

perca— a perch, .... 225
Lutra: L., an otter, ... 19
Luxilus: a shiner (L., Zua>-light), 286
Lynx: lugx — a wild cat, . . 16
Lythrurus: luthron— blood; oura

—tail 285

Macrochelys: makros — large;

chelus — a turtle, . . . 167
Macrorhamphus: makros— large;

rhamphos — bill, . . . 126
Malacoclemmys: malakos — soft;

klemmus — a turtle, . . . 164
MAMMALIA: Latin name (mam-
ma), ....... 12

Minormis: meaningless, . . 293
Mniotilta: mnion— moss; tillo— to

pull 59

Molothrus: molos— a mass ; throos

—a rustling (?) .... 91
Morone: meaningless, . . 227
MOTACILLID^E: L., motacilla — a

wagtail, 56

Moxostoma: muzo— to suck; stoma

—mouth, 295

Muraenopsis : muraina — an eel ;

opsis— appearance, . . . 197

MURID^E, 30

Mus: mus— a mouse, ... 31
Mustela L., a weasel, . . 18

MUSTELID^!, 17

Myiadestes: myia— a fly; deo— to

bind (catch) 48

Myiarchus: myia— a, fly; archos—

chief, 96

Myiodioctes: myia— a fly; diofco —

to chase 68

Myonomes: mus— mouse; 7iomos—

pasture 32

Nanemys: nanos— dwarf; emys—

turtle 163

Nauclerus: naucleros— a ruler, 112
Necturus : nekton — swimming ;

oura— tail, 198

NEMATOGNATHI: nemo— barbel;

0nat/ios-jaw 298

Neocorys : neos — new ; cor us —

helmet 57

-J5

338

INDEX.

PAGE.

Neotoma: neo — to swim: tome —
a cutting (Rodent), ... 31

Nero&ia: neros— moist, . . 175

Nettion: nettion— a little duck, 142

Nisus: a king of Megara, changed
to an eagle 113

Mareca: meaningless, . . 141

MARSIPOBRANCHH: marsipion—
a pouch ; braychia— gills, . 313

MARSTJPIALIA : marsipion —
pouch 35

Melanerpes: melas— black ; herpo
—to creep, 104

Melanetta: melas— black; netta—
a duck 144

Melanura: melas— black; oura—
a tail, 253

MELEAGRID^E: . . . . 117

Meleagris : meleagris — a fowl
(from the hero Meleager, whose
sisters wept themselves into
Guinea-hens) 117

Melospiza: melos— song; spiza— a
sparrow 87

M enobranchus : menos— strength;
(meno— to remain); bragchos—a,
gill, ' 198

ME^-OPOMID^E 196

Menopoma : menos — strength ;
poma— opercle 196

Mephitis: L., a bad odor, . . 19

Mergus: L., mergo— to dive, . 145

Mesogonistius : mesos — middle ;
gonia— angle; histion— sail (dor-
sal) 232

Micristius: mikros— small ; histion
—sail (dorsal), .... 252

Micropalama . mikros — small ;
palame— palm (web), . . 126

Microperea: mikros— small; perke
—a perch 218

Micropterus : mikros — small ;
pteron — a fin, .... 229

Milvulus: dim. of L., milvus— a
kite 96

Mlnnilus : English, minnow ;
French, menuise ; L., minus —
small, 289

Nocomis: Ind., nokomit— daugh-
ter of the moon, . . . 278

Notemigonus : notos— back; Tiemi
—half; gonia— angle, . . 290

Nothonotus : notlios — spurious ;
notos — back, .... 218

PAGE.

Notophthalmus : notos — back;

ophthalmos — eye, . , . 191
Noturus: notos— back; oura— tail, 303
Numenius: noumenia— the new

moon 129

Nyctale: nuktalos — nocturnal, 108
Nyctea: nuktios— nocturnal, . 109
Nyctherodius: nuktios — noctur-
nal; herodios — a heron, . 132
Nyctiardea: L., a night-heron, 132
Nycticejus: mix — night. , . 23
Ochetodon: ochetos— a channel;

odon — a tooth, .... 32
(Edemia: oidema — a swelling, 144
Oligocephalus : o li g o s — a few

(small); kephale — head, . 218
Oligosoma: oligos — small; soma

— body 171

Olor : a Latin name, . . . 139
Opheosaurus: ophis— snake; sau-

ros- lizard, . . • . 170
Ophibolus: op Tiis — snake ; fcolis

— dart 180

OPHIDIA: ophis — snake, . . 172
Oporornis: opora — early autumn

(fruit); ornis — bird, . . 67
Ortyx: ortux — a European quail, 119
Oryzomys : L., oryza — rice; mus

— mouse, ..... 32
Osceola: Name of an Indian chief, 181
Osmerus: osmeres — odorous, . 261
Otocorys: ous— ear; korus — hel-
met, 56

Otus: otos— a horned owl (otos—

eared) 107

O'zotheca: ozo — to give out an

odor; theke— a box, . . . 166
Pagophila: pagos— ice; phileo— to

love 150

Pandion: name in mythology, 112

PARIDJB 51

Parula: dim. of Parus, . . 60
Parus: L., a titmouse, . 51

Passer: L., a sparrow, . . 83
Passerculus: dim. of Passer, . 84
Passerella: dim. of Passer, . 88

PASSERES, 44

Pedioecetes: pedion— a field; koite

-a nest, 118

Pedomys: pedion — field ; mus— a

mouse 33

Pegedichthys: pege— a fountain;

icftthus-a fish, .... 244
PELECANID^E 146

INDEX.

339

PAGE.

Pelecanus: pelekan— a pelican, 146
Pelidna: pelidnos— livid, . . 127
Pelionetta: peleios— blackish ;

netta — duck, .... 145
Perca: per fee— a perch (perfeos—

dusky), 225

PERCESOCES: L., perca — perch;

esox— a pike 248

PERCIDvE, 224

Percina: dim. of Perca, . . 224

PERCOPSID^E 258

Percopsis: per fee — a perch; opsis

— appearance, .... 258
PERDICID^E: L., perclix— a part-
ridge, 119

Perisoreus: peri — around ; soros

— a hill, a heap, ... 95
Perissoglossa: perissos— odd; glos-

sa — a tongue, .... 61
Petrochelidon: pefros — a rock;

chclidon — a swallow, . . 71
Petromyzon : petros — a stone ; muzo

— to suck 314

PETROMYZONTID^E, . . . 314
Peucaea: pewfce — a pine tree, . 87
PHALACROCORACID.*: phalakros

— bald; korax — a raven, . 147
PHALAROPODIIMB, . . . 123
Phalaropus : phalaros — shining;

pous — foot, .... 123
Phenacobius: phenax— deceptive;

bios — life, . . . . . 280
Philohela- phileo — to love; hele—

sunlight; (hilus— mud?), . 125
Philomachus: phileo — to love;

mache — a fight, . . . 129
Photogenis: pTios — light; genus

-cheek 288

Phoxinus: phoxinos — a minnow;

(phoxos — tapering), . . 284
Phrynosoma: phrune— a toad; so-

ma— body, .... 170
Pica: L., a magpie, ... 94
PICARIJE: L., picws — a wood-
pecker, 98

PiciDvE: 102

Picoides : L., like a woodpecker, 104
Picorellus: English, pickerel, . 255
Picus: L., a woodpecker, . . 103
Pileoma : pilema — something

compact, ..... 224
Pimelodus : pimelodes — fat, . 300
Pimephales: pimele— fat; kephale

— head, 275

PAGE.

Pinicola: L., living among pines, 81
Pipilo: L., pipilo— to chirp, . 89
PISCES: L., fishes, . . . 199
Pitymys: pitus— a pine-tree; mus

— mouse, 33

Pityophis: pitus — a pine-tree:

ophis — snake, .... 178
Placopharynx: plax — anything flat

and broad; pharunx— pharynx, 296
Planirostra : L., planus— flat; ros-
trum—snout, .... 310
Plargyrus: pleura— side; arguros

— silver 287

Plectrophanes: plektron — a, spur;

— phaneo— to show, ... 83
Plestiodon: pleistos— many; oclon

— tooth 171

Plethodon : plethos — abundance ;

odon — tooth 193

PLETHODONTID^E, . . . 192
PLEURODELID^E : Pleurodeles ;
pleuron— side; deleeis— destruc-
tive, .190

Pleurolepis: pleuron — side; lepis

—scale 221

PLOTID^E, 146

Plotus: plos — a swimmer, . 146
Podiceps: L., podex— rump; pes—

foot, 155

PODICIPHXE, . . . . . 155
Podilymbus : L., podiceps — a

grebe; colymbus— a loon, . 156
Pcecilia: poikilos— variegated, 252
Pcecilichthys : poikilos — varie-
gated; ichthus — fish, . . 219
Polioptila: polios— hoary; ptilon

—feather, 50

Poly odon: poi-us— many; odon—
tooth, 310

POLTODONTID^E, .... 309

Pomolobus: porno— opercle ; loftos

—lobe, 265

Pomotis: poma — opercle ; ous —

ear 239

Pomoxys: poma — opercle; oirws —

sharp, 230

Pocecetes: pocs— meadow-grass;

koite— nest, 84

Porphyrio : porphurion — a red

water bird, from porphurios,

purple 136

Porzana: meaningless, . . 136
Potamocottus: potamos—a, river;

kottos— a sculpin, . . . 244

340

INDEX.

PAGE.

Procyon: pro— before; Teuon^-dog 20

PROCYONID.E 20

Progue: a daughter of Pandion,

who was changed into a swallow 72

PROTEIDA, 197

PROTEID^!: proteus— a name in

mythology, 197

Protonotaria 60

Pseudemys: pseudos— false ; emus

—a tortoise, 164

Pseudobranchus : pseudos— false ;

bragchos— gills, .... 198
Pseudotriton : pseudos — false ;

triton— a water Salamander, 194
PSITTACI: L., psittacus — a parrot 105
Pteromys: pteron— wing; mus —

mouse, 27

Ptychemys: ptuche — a fold or

wrinkle; emus — a tortoise, . 164
Ptychostomus: ptuche— a fold or

wrinkle; stoma — mouth, . 295
Ptyonotus: ptuon — a, fan; notes

— back 245

Putorius: L., ill-scented, . . 18
PYGOPODES: puge — rump; pous

— foot, 153

Pygosteus: puge— rump; osteon —

bone 249

Pyranga: pur — fire; tanagra —

tanager 70

Pyrgita: purgites— a house spar-
row 83

Querquedula: L., a teal, . . 141
Quiscalus : quiscala— a vernacular
name, ..,.,. 93

RALLID^E, 135

Rallus: L., a rail, ... 135

Rana: L.. a frog 187

RANID^E 187

Rangifer: L., a reindeer, . . 21
RAP^TORES: L., robbers, . . 106
Recurvirostra: L., recurvus — re-
curved; rostrum — bill, . . 123
RKCURVIROSTRID^E, . . . 122
Regina : L., a queen, . . . 175
Regulus: L., a kinglet, . . 50
Reithrodon : reithron — a channel ;

odon — tooth 32

REPTILIA: L., repto — to creep or

crawl, 157

Rhinichthys: rhin — snout; ich-

<7ms-fish 280

Rhinogryphus : rhin — snout;
grups — a griffin, . . . 115

PAGE.

RHOMBOOANOIDEI: rhombos — a
diamond -shaped figure, a
rhomb; ganoidei— ganoids, . 306

Rhyacophilus • rhuax — river;
pMleo — to love. . . . 129

Rhynchops: rhunchos— snout; ops

— face [ 153

Rhytidostomus : rhutis — rough;

stoma— mouth 298

Rissa: a Latin name (risus —

laughing) 150

Roccus: from vernacular, Rock-
fish 226

RODENTIA— L., rodo — to gnaw, 26
Rutilus : Latin, rosy, . . . 287
Salamandra: L., a Salamander, 193
Salar : L., a trout (salio— to leap), 259
Salmo: L., a trout (saZio— to leap), 259

SALMONIDJE, 258

Salvelinus : a Latin name, . 259
SarcMriis: sarx — flesh; cheir —

hand, 308

SAXICOLID^B: L., saxicola— living

among rocks, .... 49
Sayornis: to Thomas Say; ornis —

a bird 96

Scalops: skalops — a mole, from

sfca«o-todig ,25

Scapanus : skapane — a hoe or

shovel, 25

SCAPHIOPID^E, .... 188
Scaphiopus: skaphos— spade; pous

— foot 189

Scaphirhynchus: skaphos— spade ;

rJiuncfoos — snout, . . . 312

Sceloporus: skelos — leg; poros —

pore, 169

: scicena— Latin name, 241
^E: skigkos— a kind of liz-
ard, 171

SCIURID^B 26

Sciurus: skiouros — a squirrel;
(sfcia — shade; oura — tail), . 27

Sciuropterus: skiouros — a squir-
rel; pteron— wing, ... 27

Sclerognathus: skleros — hard;
gnatTios-jaw 297

Scolecophagus : skolex — worm ;
phago — to eat, .... 93

Scolecosoma: skolex— worm; soma

— body, 315

SCOLOPACID^!, . . . 124

Scolopax: skolopax — a snipe, 126
Scops: skops — a screech owl, 108

INDEX.

341

PAGE.

Scotiaptex: skotia — darkness ;

ptesso — to frighten, . , 108
Scotophilus: skotos — darkness ;

phileo — to love, ... 22
Scotophis : skotos — darkness ;

op his — snake 178

Seiurus: seio— to wag; oura— tail, 66
SELACHOSTOMI : selachos — a

shark ( cartilage ) ; stoma —

mouth, 309

Seinotilus: unexplained, . . 277
Setophaga: ses— a moth; phago—

to eat, ...... 69

Sialia: sialis— plump, . . 49
SILURID^B: Silurus ; silouros —

some river fish 299

Siredon: seiredon—a, siren (seira

—entangling), .... 194
Siren: seiren— a siren, . . 198

SIRENID^E, 198

Sitta: sitte— a nuthatch, . . 52

SlTTID^E, 52

Somateria: soma — body; erion —

wool, , 144

Sorex: L., a shrew-mole, . . 26

SORICID^E 25

SPALACOPODID.E : Spalacopus ;

spalax— a mole; pous— foot, . 33
Spatula: L., a spatula, . . 142
Spatularia: L., spatula, , . 310
Spelerpes: speos— a cave; herpes—

reptile, ,.,... 193
Speotyto: speos— a cave; tuto— a

night owl 109

Spermophilus : sperma — seed ;

pMlos— lover, .... 28
Sphyrapicus: sphura— a hammer;

pikos— a woodpecker. . . 104
Spizella; dim. of spiza— a spar-
row 86

Squatarola: a vernacular name, 121
STEGANOPODES : steganos — web-
bed; pous — foot, . . . 146
Steganopus : steganos — webbed ;

pous— foot, 123

Stelgidopteryx: stelgis — a kind of

scraper; pterux— wing, . . 72
Stercorarius : L., stercus — excre-
ment 149

Sterna: L., sterno — to spread out, 152
Stilbe: stilbe — splendor, . . 290
Stilbius : same as stilbe, . . 290
Stizostedium: stizo — to prick;
sfethos-breast, .... 225

PAGE.

Storeria: to Dr. David H. Storer, 176
Strepsilas: strepso — to turn ; loos

—stone, 122

STRIGID.E 106

Strix: strigx — some night bird

with a sharp cry, . . . 107
Sturnella: L., sturnus— a starling, 92
Surnia: surnia — an owl, . . 109,
SyMcola : L., sylvicola— living in

the forest, 60

SYLVICOLID.E 57

Sylviidce: L., sylva— woodland, 49

Symphemia 128

Synaptornys: sunaptos — connect-
ing; mus — mouse ( joining Ar-
vicola and Myodes), ... 33
Synechoglanis: synecho—to repeat;

plants — the fish Silurus, . 299
Syrnium: surnion — an owl, . 108
Tachycineta: tachus— swift; kineo

—to move 71

TALPID^E: L., talpa— a mole, . 24
Tamias: tamias— a steward, . 28
TANAGRID^B: Tanagra (tanagra

a copper kettle ?), . . 69

TANTALID^E: .... 133
Tantalus: a mythological name, 133
Taxidea: taxus— an allied genus;

eidos— form, . . . . 19
TEID^E: tejus— a vernacular name, 170
TELKOCEPHALI : teleos— perfect ;

kephale— head, .... 215
TELEOSTEI: teleos— perfect; osteon

—bone, 214

Telipomis : teleis — full-grown

("spotted"); poma — opercle, 234
Telmatodytes : telmatodutes— liv-
ing in ponds, .... 55
Teretulus: L., teres— cylindrical, 295
TKSTUDINATA: . . . . 159

TESTUDINIDJ3 160

Testudo: L., a turtle, . . . 161
Tetrao: tetraon— a grouse, . 118
TETRAONID^E: . . . . 118
Thalasseus: thalassa— the ocean, 151
Thryno sternum : ihura— a door ;

sternon— sternum, . . . 166
Thryomanes : thruon — a rush ;

manes— a cup (nest?), . . 55
Thryothorus : thruon— a rush ;

thereuo— to seek, ... 54
Thymallus : L., a grayling (a fish
supposed to feed on water
thyme) 262

342

INDEX,

PAGE.

Tinnunculua: L., a kestrel, spar-
row-hawk Ill

Totanus: Latin name, . . 128
Toxicophis: toxikos— poison (for

smearing arrows); ophis— snake 184
Trachemys: trachus— rough ; emus

—turtle 165

Triglopsis : trigla — a gurnard;

opsis— appearance, . . . 245
Tringa: L., a sandpiper, . . 127
Tringoides; L., tringa— a sand-
piper; aides— like, . . . 129
Trigonocevhalus : treis — three:

Cronos— angle; TiepfcaZe— head, 184
TRIONYCHID^E: Trionyx; treis—
three; onux — claw, . . . 167

TROCHILID^E 100

Trochilus: trochilos—a small bird
(wren) said to pick the teeth of

crocodiles, 100

Trogl ody tes : troglodutes — living

in caves, 55

TROGLODYTID^E 53

Tropidoclonium: tropis— a keel;

clonion— a small twig, . . 176
Tropidolepis: tropis— a keel; lepis

scale 169

Tropidonotus : tropis — a keel ;

notos — back 175

Trutta: L., a trout, . . . 259
Tryngites: L., tringa — a sand-
piper 129

TURDID^E, 45

Turdus: L., a thrush, . . . 47
Typhlichthys : tuphlos — blind ;

ichthus — fish 257

TYRAITNID^E 95

Tyrannus: turannos— a tyrant, 96
Umbla: L., a river fish, . . 259
Umbra: L., a grayling, . . 253

PAGE.

UMBRID^E, s>5£

UNGULATA; L., ungulatus — hav-
ing hoofs 20

Uranidea: ouranos— the sky; eido

— to see 248

Urocyon: our a — tail; Ituon.— dog 17
URODELA: euro— tail; delos— ob-
vious 190

URSID^E, IS

Ursus: L., a bear, ... 20
VERTEBRATA-. L., vertebrates, 9

Vesperides: L., vesper — evening, 23
Vesperimus: L., vesper— evening:

mus — mouse, .... 31
Vespertilio: L., vespertilio-a bat, 22
VESPERTILIONID^E, ... 22
Vesperugo: L., vesper— evening, 23
Vesperus: L., vesperus — evening, 23
Vireo: L., vireo — a green finch;

(rireo — to grow green), . 76
VIRECXMD.E, .... 73
Vireosylvia: vireo-sylvia, . 75
Virginia: Virginia, name of the

state where first found, . . 182
Vulpes: L., a fox, ... 17
Wilsonia: to Alexander Wilson,
the " Father of American Orni-
thology," 68

Xanthocephalus : xanthos — yel-
low; kephale— head, . . 92
Xeina: a coined name, . . 151
Xerobates: xeros — dry, . . 161

ZAPODID^B, 29

Zap us: za— strong; pows— foot, 30
Zensedura: zenaida— a zenaida-

dove; our o— tail, . . . 116
Zonotrichia: zonos— zone or band;

trichion— hair (crown), . . 86
Zygonectes : zugos— yoke ; nektes—
swimmer, 252

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BIOLOGY

LIBRARY

JUN 2- 1948

1

LD 21-10m-7,'39(402s)

Jordan, David S.

— Manual of the verte-

J6

brates of northern U.S

•JC 7

JUN -

JIN 2- 1348

ivl85637

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THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY